Fate and Destiny
by constantdaydreamergirl
Summary: Toshiro is sent to the World of the Living to investigate Hollow-like monsters, but he is stripped of his powers when he arrives. It is here he meets Ren, a human girl who is linked to the monsters. But, the longer Toshiro stays here, the more he suspects that there is more to Ren and the monsters than meets the eye...Full summary inside. Pairing Toshiro x OC
1. Prologue: Black Shoes

**Hi folks! Welcome to my Bleach fanfiction! As promised, here is the full summary:**

_**Toshiro Hitsugaya is deployed to the World of the Living to investigate some strange appearances of monsters that are like Hollows, but as soon as he arrives, he is completely powerless. He has arrived in a world where Soul Reapers don't exist! He soon allies himself with a young girl. Her name is Ren, and soon, this strange girl is closer to Toshiro than anyone could ever imagine. But, behind her strange but cheerful personality, there is something deeper involved. She refuses to talk about herself much, and Toshiro realises that she is linked to the monsters, and is therefore the only one who can fight them. But, when she does, she forgets what happens almost immediately afterwards. More allies are sent to help, but they too are almost powerless to help. Just who exactly is Ren? Why could she see Toshiro as a Soul Reaper? What exactly are these Hollows? And who are the people following them? As Toshiro becomes closer and closer to Ren, he realises that he is more linked to this than he thought possible.**_

**Well, there you have it. I know I talk like it's from the English dub, but come on! It's not that bad; I think it's pretty good! So, if you're a dub hater, then don't talk about it in your reviews, for I shall delete them, as I am the all-powerful author! Ha-Ha! Anyway, I hope you will enjoy the ride! And no worries to my regulars; just because I started a new story doesn't mean I have given up of the Phoenix Warrior series!**

Prologue 1

Black Shoes

"Alright, I'm here." Toshiro finally reached the exit from the Dangai after running for what felt like an eternity to him. He had done this several times before, but no matter how many times he travelled through it, the Dangai still freaked him out.

"Captain Hitsugaya, do you want me to recap the assignment for you?" Rin's voice said through the Hell Butterfly that hovered next to him.

"Get off my back and open the Dangai!" Toshiro snapped in response.

"Uwaaaaah! I'm sorry!" Toshiro rolled his eyes. He knew that Rin and Hanataro would be best friends should they ever meet again. He sighed as he waited for the exit to open. Leaving Soul Society had left him in a bad mood; he was the only captain class level Soul Reaper available to do this mission, and he was less than happy to do it. Whenever he left his lieutenant alone, he always returned to find the office in a huge mess, smelling like sake, and a passed out Rangiku on the sofa. Toshiro shuddered at the thought. On top of that, the assignment he was set was definitely one of the more...unique. After all, was a captain really needed to investigate monsters that are like Hollows appearing in the World of the Living? Those factors, plus the fact that the exit wasn't open before he arrived, set him off ready to explode should something provoke him. However, Hitsugaya couldn't help but be confused; why wasn't the Dangai open?

"Alright, it's all clear for you to exit, Captain Hitsugaya."

"Finally." Toshiro muttered under his breath.

"Remember, Captain. You have to find an ally in order for your Gigai to be deployed."

"Yeah, yeah." Toshiro said dismissively, and stepped through the glowing doorway. As Toshiro stepped onto the grass of the World of the Living, Toshiro shielded his eyes from the unexpected sunlight. So far so good. He had arrived at least. But almost as soon as his eyes had adjusted to the sunlight, he sensed something was wrong. Even though the sun was out, there was a certain chill in the air. On top of that, he couldn't sense anything. Not even the smallest trace of reiatsu.

"Tsubokura, what's going on?" Toshiro demanded, coming to the conclusion that Rin had messed up. No answer. "Hey!" Toshiro turned sharply towards his Hell Butterfly, and his eyes widened. It was slowly disintegrating before his very eyes.

"Ca...tsu...signa...can't..." Was all that could be heard before the Hell butterfly disappeared into ashes that drifted through a cold breeze.

"What the hell?" Toshiro said out loud. Suddenly, his soul pager rang, and he was quick to answer it. "What?"

"Oh, thank goodness." Rin's relieved voice sighed. "The Denreishinki still works. But, I don't think I can keep the connection for much longer."

"Then hurry up and tell me what the hell is going on here!" Toshiro demanded.

"Uwaaaaah!" Rin yelled, and Toshiro almost sweat dropped at the sound of machines collapsing.

"Look, just tell me now before the signal breaks. Am I in the correct location?"

"Let's see... E9762B, 00092...yes, you're definitely in the right place."

"That can't be right. If it was, then the Hell Butterfly would still be here." Toshiro looked around at his surroundings. He was definitely in some kind of town, but it was not like the Karakura Town that Ichigo lived in. Every sense in Toshiro's body told him that. He tried again to search for traces of reiatsu, but found none. "Also, why can't I sense any reiatsu?"

"Let me run a background check." Toshiro listened impatiently as he heard Rin tapping at an electronic keyboard. The noise stopped when Rin suddenly gasped. "This is..."

"What? What is it?"

"Well, the good news is...yes, you're definitely in the right place. But, the bad news is, even if you found these Hollows, you wouldn't be able to fight them even if you wanted to."

"Why?"

"You can't fight because according to the check...you're in a world where Soul Reapers don't exist!"

"What?" Toshiro gasped, eyes wide. "Then why am I still in my Soul Reaper form?"

"I don't know. But, it explains why you couldn't exit the Dangai right away. However, I can't open it for you to come home again. And the Senkaimon does not recognise your location, so that's not an option either. I can still send the Gigai over to you when you find an ally, but you'll be a normal human as soon as you put it on."

"Damn..." Toshiro cursed. Suddenly, a crackling sound went through the communicator, and Toshiro immediately knew that he didn't have much time left. "Quickly. Is there anybody nearby who can help me?"

"Hold on, let me check...I ...yes, there is someone! She'll be able to see you while you are a Soul Reaper, and she is in your vicinity! Her name is-"Before Rin could finish his sentence, there was a pop noise, and the communicator was deafly silent.

"Tsubokura. Tsubokura, come in. Tsubokura!" Toshiro yelled into the communicator, knowing full well he wouldn't get a response. "Tch." Toshiro snapped the pager shut, cursing his stupidity. Once again, he looked around at his surroundings. The sun was shining down upon the town, but there were still grey clouds in the sky. "Tsubokura said before I left that this was England." Toshiro said to himself. "Hmph. Sasakibe will want to know all of the details." Toshiro just about stopped himself from saying 'if I get back'. It was then that Toshiro noticed where he was; he was in an area that was surrounded by a black metal fence that was several metres high. Upon closer inspection, Toshiro saw several buildings; some looked like they were from several hundred years ago, while others were rather new, including the one he was standing behind. He was caught between the fence and the building, along with the shade of several large trees, and the tips of the grass were tipped with the slightest traces of frost.

"I guess its winter here. And this place looks like a school." Toshiro scowled. "Great. My last hope is a child."

"Holy crap!"

"What?" Toshiro looked sharply to his right. Nothing. All that he saw were netball courts surrounded by green wire mesh just several metres away from him, as well as the corner of the modern school building in front of him. "Who's there? Come out and show yourself!" No response. Toshiro walked slowly towards the corner of the building. He knew that he heard someone. There was no mistaking it. Could this be the girl Rin mentioned? "There's no use in hiding!" Suddenly, he saw a rustle of movement in the grass, and he caught a glimpse of a foot. He quickly took note of the appearance; a black shoe with a small heel on the back, with a single strap over the top of the foot, and a black leather flower shape on one side of it. Seeing as he saw the left foot, the flower was on the left side.

"Hey!" Toshiro ran to where that girl stood, but as soon as he got there, she was gone. "Damn! I lost her!" Nonetheless, it didn't stop Toshiro from walking onto the path that leads through the centre of the school, searching for her. He considered himself lucky that there wasn't anybody around at this time; otherwise he might have been in trouble. He couldn't gamble on whether that girl was the only human who could see him. For all he knew, these humans were all spiritually aware, even if he didn't technically exist.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

"Eh?" Toshiro blinked himself out of his train of thought after hearing the ominous beep. "Was that the school bell? That means..." Toshiro found himself yelling out of surprise and exasperation as hundreds of students exited the school buildings. As suspected, these humans could walk into him as though he was already wearing a Gigai, but in the rush of school students eager to get home, they did not notice Toshiro, which was lucky for him. But, on the other hand, he was being tossed around the crowds like he were a mere rag doll. While navigating the crowds, Toshiro cursed himself on his helplessness, ashamed that a captain class Soul Reaper was powerless in this world, and how he can be easily dominated by a crowd of humans. Eventually, Toshiro stumbled out of the crowd of bustling school students and into a school building.

"Okay! I made it." Toshiro gasped, out of breath. After getting his breath back, Toshiro observed his new surroundings. He was in a large room with cream coloured walls, and blue chairs, both along the walls and through the centre of the rooms in many rows, were in the room. Toshiro also noticed that there was a small kitchen area, with cupboards that had three initials on each door, and a microwave, along with two square tables that had four wooden chairs on each. Next to the kitchen area, there were three bag racks that were made of metal.

_A common room?_ Toshiro thought. _I suppose every year in this school has one_. Toshiro noted the wide screen television attached to the wall. _This is some school_. Toshiro mentally sweat dropped. However, he quickly shook himself out of his awe and wonder. He had to focus on the most important task; finding the girl with black shoes.

"Of course, it would be so much easier if every damn student didn't wear black shoes." Toshiro grumbled in frustration. "Plus, all the uniforms look the same." Toshiro held his chin thoughtfully. "Although, some of the girls had different skirts. Three different skirts; a grey pleated skirt, a plain grey skirt with slits, and a black wrap around. The same applies to the ties the boys wear. As for the jackets, that makes it impossible. They're all identical." Toshiro paced around the room in thought as he spoke, and he stopped outside the kitchen area when he had finished speaking. "Damn it all!" Toshiro slammed a fist on one of the tables. "It's like searching for a needle in a hay stack! If she had reiatsu I could find her without a problem!" After saying this, Toshiro realised something very important; he could no longer sense Hyorinmaru. The lifelong companion strapped to his back no longer carried the chill that Toshiro knew. He grasped the hilt. As expected, nothing happened. No cold wind. No ice. Not even a welcoming chill. Hyorinmaru was now nothing more than a basic katana. Toshiro had never felt more vulnerable in his entire life.

"Don't worry, Hyorinmaru." Toshiro said reassuringly, hoping that Hyorinmaru could somehow hear him. "Once I figure out what's happening, I'll make sure we're together again."

"Hold on a sec, I need to get my bag." Toshiro flinched after hearing a girl's voice. The nerves only rose as he heard footsteps coming closer and closer.

"Someone's coming! What do I do?" Toshiro looked and right frantically, trying to find a place to hide, until he saw a tall cupboard in the kitchen area. "I can't believe I'm hiding like a human!" Toshiro exclaimed before dashing inside the cupboard and slamming it shut, just as the door into the common room opened.

"Anyway, just before the bell went, I saw someone really strange."

"Strange how?"

"Weeeeeell... it was strange because they were talking about stuff I've never heard before like...um...what's it called...uh...ah, that's right! He said Hell Butterfly...I think."

"Hell Butterfly?" The other voice repeated, which Toshiro recognised as female. "What's a Hell Butterfly?"

"Beats me. Anyway, this guy...he looked kinda young. And a bit weird, too. I mean, he had, like, a katana on his back."

"A katana? That's a one edged sword, right?"

"Yup."

"But weapons like that are illegal here, aren't they? Who would carry a sword around like that?"

"See, that's what I thought, which made me think 'This guy isn't from around here'. Plus, his clothes looked like something from the samurai period."

"You think he's a cosplayer?"

"Cosplayer? Nah, we don't have conventions in this town. If we did, I'd know."

_What are they saying?_ Toshiro thought. _I can't tell what they're talking about._ Toshiro dared to push the cupboard door open a little further, leaving a small gap for Toshiro to look through. He could clearly see the backs of two girls, both of them wearing black pleated skirts just past their knees, and maroon blazers. One girl had shoulder length brown hair, and another girl, a little shorter than her, had blonde hair that reached the bottom of her rib cage. Toshiro noticed that there was a black jacket with no sleeves covering the blazer of the blonde haired girl, complete with two tassels hanging from the back, but the gown didn't reach the ground like Toshiro's captain haori; instead, it cut off at the bottom of her blazer, but Toshiro couldn't help but notice the familiar appearance. Both girls were seated on one blue chair each, though Toshiro could not see their faces.

"But still, he was talking like one." The blonde girl said thoughtfully.

"Maybe it was a scripted performance he was rehearsing for?"

"Ha-ha! Maybe. But, if he was, he was doing it very badly."

"What do you mean?"

"Since when do samurai's have mobile phones? And I don't think they would rehearse for a play over a phone."

"Well...what did he look like? Maybe we can get clues from that."

"Um, let's see..." Toshiro saw the blonde girl turn her head slightly to the side and look up at the ceiling, tapping her chin with her finger. "Well...he was kind of young looking...and he's a little shorter than me..."

"What height are you again?"

"A hundred and sixty three centimetres. I'd say this guy was about a hundred and thirty easy. Anyway, he was dressed like a samurai, like I said, you know in one of those kimonos. He had those funny trouser things on and everything. Hmmm, what else is there? Oh, yeah! How could I forget that?"

"What is it?" The brown haired girl asked.

"This boy had white hair!"

_White hair?_ Toshiro thought, eyes wide. _That's me! Wait a second..._Toshiro looked at the blonde girl's feet. She was wearing black shoes with a leather flower on them. The exact same shoes Toshiro saw earlier. _It's her! I know it!_

"So? He could be wearing a wig." The brown haired girl said.

"Or he bleaches his hair." The blonde girl interjected.

"Yeah."

_If I had powers, you would be an ice sculpture by now!_ Toshiro thought, silently steaming angrily. _I do not bleach my hair!_

"Well, guess we'd better head off." Toshiro saw the two girls leaving through another door, the brown haired girl carrying a multicoloured backpack, and the blonde one with a beige shoulder bag. Quickly, he left the cupboard, slipped through the closing door just before is slammed and followed the two girls, never taking his eyes off their backs, and silently praying there wasn't anybody else in the school who could see him now. There was now no doubt in his mind; this girl saw him.

"Eh?"

"What's wrong?" The brown haired girl asked, noticing that the other had stopped walking. Toshiro stopped as well so as not to make his presence known.

"I...I swear I heard something."

_She noticed me?_ Toshiro thought, shocked.

"You did?"

"Yeah, like...footsteps." Toshiro flinched, knowing that she was going to turn around and blow his cover.

"Footsteps?" The brown haired girl looked over her shoulder and directly at Toshiro. She glanced left and right over and over again, while Toshiro did not move from the spot he was standing on. He didn't even blink. "I don't see anything."

"Yeah, I guess I was imagining things. Sorry for worrying you, Steph."

"Phew." Toshiro sighed, letting out a breath that he didn't know he had been holding.

_How did she hear me?_ Toshiro thought, suspicious. When the two girls carried on talking and walking, Toshiro followed them, making sure that his footsteps matched theirs. _I should be glad that I know she is the only one who can see me, but how could she hear me? I matched her footsteps perfectly. I'll have to keep an eye on her._ H stopped walking when the girls also stopped. He took note of a group of students, at least forty of them, standing on the pavement. He noticed that they were all standing near a post with the small sign saying "Bus Stop" on it.

_So she rides the bus home, huh? How am I supposed to follow her on a bus without her seeing me?_ Toshiro looked towards the blonde girl, being careful of staying behind a tall boy wearing the school uniform so that she couldn't see her. _But, it looks like nobody else here can see me. That's good. It makes my job a little bit easier. I'll only be at risk of being seen by her, but I don't want it to be right now. She seems like the kind of girl who would make a scene._

"AH-TCHOO!" The blonde girl sneezed loudly.

"Have you got a cold?" The brown haired girl, Steph, asked.

"Nah, I'm sure somebody's just talking about me. Oh wait, does it count if someone thinks about you?"

"What if it is a cold?" Steph teased.

"Then it's just a sneeze." The blonde girl shrugged.

_I have no choice. I've got to follow her onto the bus when it arrives. I'll mix in with everyone else and hide until she gets off. That will be when I make my move._

"Bus!"

"Is it ours? Yeah, it's ours!"

"See you tomorrow, Steph!"

"Now's my chance." Toshiro swiftly joined the crowd as half of the group, including the girl he was following, hurriedly stepped onto a white public bus. It was in the bus that Toshiro saw the space reserved for wheelchair users, including three fold down chairs. Perfect. Toshiro quickly ducked behind the barrier and simply watched the crowd take their seats in a noise of chatter and laughter. "And I thought Tokyo's trains were packed." Toshiro muttered to himself. Suddenly, a large case containing a tuba was slammed next to Toshiro, and directly on his right hand.

"Grah!" Toshiro cried out.

"Hn? Did anyone hear that?" Toshiro heard the blonde girl say, making him flinch nervously.

"Hear what?"

"Nah, never mind. Must have been my imagination. Again."

_That was too close..._Toshiro thought, sighing._ But still... _Toshiro looked at his now red hand. _I'm not in a Gigai, and yet it's as though I already have a physical body. And nobody seems to notice me. They can't even hear me._ Toshiro dared to peer over the barrier. The students were all in their own seats, though luckily, nobody was sitting in the three priority seats behind Toshiro. In the small upper level that had one step leading up to it, there were boys with black ties and girls with long sleeved blouses with horizontal maroon stripes and black skirts; all of them had the same maroon blazer on, though a handful of them also had the same black gown as the blonde girl. The girl Toshiro was following was sitting beside a window on the left and was staring out at the scenery with a vacant stare. _Just who is this girl? Why can she see and hear me when I shouldn't even exist here? More importantly... _Toshiro sat back behind the barrier and out of sight. _Can she see these Hollows I'm investigating? No, Tsubokura said that they were like Hollows, but they are not Hollows. Whatever they are, I get the feeling that this girl is connected to them. I don't know how, but I'll find out no matter what._ After several minutes of sitting on the floor with his hand under his arm, Toshiro couldn't resist staring over the barrier again at the girl. She was still staring out of the window, and the blonde bangs of her hair framed her face and made it difficult for Toshiro to see her face. _She isn't talking to anybody. And nobody is talking to her. What's with her?_

DING!

"Okay, see you tomorrow!" The blonde girl stood up, waved at the back row of the bus and stepped down towards the exit, and was accompanied by several more waves from the people at the back.

_Already?_ Toshiro thought. _Damn, I was so caught up in my thoughts I lost track of time._ He stood up as soon as the girl couldn't see her and quickly stepped off the bus behind her, though he had to pull the corner of his captain's haori free from the doors.

"The sooner I'm in a Gigai, the better." Toshiro grumbled. Toshiro was now in a village, where there was just one pub and several houses. However, ahead, there was a hill that leads up to several more houses. Toshiro assumed that was where the bus entered the village from the city. All around him, there was absolute silence, and there wasn't a car insight. On the road he was standing on, it lead straight through the village, and the only turning he saw was to the right. It seemed to be a desolate village, but somehow, there was a feeling that this village was the kind where anybody was welcome. Even the air felt warmer compared to the city. "So she's a country girl?" Toshiro looked towards the corner. The girl was heading towards there, slinging her school bag onto her right shoulder and wandering a little onto the quiet road. She was just a few metres away from Toshiro, though that distance could mean everything to Toshiro if it meant figuring out this world.

_Alright. There's nobody else here. Now is my chance. Please, let her be the right one._

"Hey, you." Toshiro said in a loud clear voice, folding his arms in the sleeves of his kimono. The girl stopped walking with a small gasp.

_Yes! She heard me!_

"I know you can hear me. You are the only one who can. I have something I need to discuss with you of the upmost importance." While Toshiro spoke, he never lost the serious expression that he wore daily, even when the girl started to turn around as a cold breeze blew through the air. It was then that Toshiro saw her face for the first time, and almost did a double take. She was like nothing he had ever seen before. Her blonde bangs perfectly framed her slightly rounded face, and she had the bluest eyes he had ever seen. Just as she said, she seemed a little shorter than one would expect, and was like a cross between a girl and a woman, but Toshiro did not care; her face and modest beauty made up for it.

"Um...can I help?" The girl asked him.

"I...I..." Toshiro stuttered, struck speechless for what he felt was the first time in his life. He unfolded his arms, staring at this girl as the breeze stopped blowing through the village, prompting the girl to move some hair over her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"Ahem, well..." Toshiro coughed, regaining his composure, and after taking a deep breath, became serious once again. "As I was saying, you are the only person in this world who can see me."

"Time out!" The girl proclaimed, making a T shape with her hands.

"Eh?"

"Just gimme a sec. I think I know who you are." She trotted up to Toshiro until their faces were just inches apart. She glared at Toshiro's face, and then moved on to staring at almost every inch of him, circling him as though she were a lion catching his prey.

"U...Um..." Toshiro started, not quite sure how to react.

"AHA!" She exclaimed, almost making Toshiro jump. She wandered back to face Toshiro, beaming. "I knew you looked familiar!" She pointed at Toshiro. "You are the boy I saw this afternoon!" She declared proudly, a satisfied grin on her face. "And you followed me from the common room onto the bus too, didn't you?"

"You...You figured that much out?" Toshiro asked, wide eyed.

"Well, yeah. I could hear your footsteps. Plus, your yelp on the bus was familiar. I mean, I did overhear you talking on your mobile phone." She indicated by making a phone shape with her thumb and little finger and bringing it to the side of her head.

_She figured all that out in an instant?_ Toshiro thought, stunned. _She may be a day dreamer, but she certainly is bright._

"So, are you a time travelling samurai, or are you some kind of ghost?" She asked, cocking her head to the side. Toshiro sweat dropped.

_Then again..._

"Well, something like that..." Toshiro eventually answered. He closed his eyes for a few seconds, before re-opening them and continuing. "I am a Soul Reaper. I have come here to investigate some...monsters." Toshiro made sure he chose those words carefully; he wasn't sure how she would react after hearing about the existence of, or lack of, Soul Reapers and everything else that came with it. He would have to wait until they were in a place where they could properly talk. "However, I discovered that Soul Reapers don't exist here, and I am powerless. Nobody can see or even hear me. Nobody except you. Therefore, you are the only person I can trust."

"Should you really put your trust into someone that quickly?" The girl asked suddenly. "I mean, we only just met."

_She asked that right out of the blue?_ Toshiro thought, utterly dumbfounded.

"Oops, I was honest again, wasn't I?" The girl said, looking very worried all of a sudden. "Sorry about that, um..." She scratched her head. "I'm sorry; I don't know your name."

"My name?"

"Well, yeah. I've got to know your name if I'm the only one you can trust, or whatever."

"Yes, of course. Forgive me." Toshiro cleared his throat again. "I...My name is Toshiro Hitsugaya."

"Toshiro, huh? That's Japanese, right?"

"Yes. How did you know?" Toshiro tried, but failed, to hide his amazement.

"Oh, I have a knack for these things." The girl grinned at him. The girl looked up at the sky thoughtfully. "Toshiro...Toshiro..." She turned back to Toshiro, smiling again. "You have a nice name." For some reason, Toshiro felt himself blush. "Oh!" She gasped. "I need to introduce myself, too! Where are my manners?" She extended a hand towards Toshiro. "My name is Ren. Ren Conner."

"Ren?" Toshiro repeated.

"Yeah. Weird name, huh?" The girl, now known as Ren, looked down at her hand. "Um, are you going to shake that?"

"Excuse me?"

"Well, usually, when people meet each other for the first time, they shake each other's hands. Or maybe people like you don't do that?"

_Incredible!_ Toshiro thought, staring down at Ren's outstretched hand. _Everything she says is without fear. What confidence! She may seem a little strange and eccentric, but she is my best bet in finding a way to combat these Hollows. I need a person like her! Of course, I'll have to find out if she can see the Hollows, or whatever they are. If she maybe had a slightly different personality, then this could be easy. Then again, her honesty might come in handy at some point._

"Very well." Toshiro clasped Ren's hand, sealing the greeting. "I am pleased to meet you."

"Likewise." Ren said, smiling her smile once again.

And so, the wheel of fate began to turn.


	2. Prologue 2: White Hair

**Okay, I'm being unique here and using two prologues! Cool, eh? This time, it's in the point of view of Ren! Have fun!**

Prologue 2

White Hair

"Ah! I'm so bored!" Ren exclaimed, stretching her arms above her head as she wandered the school grounds. A decision she came to regret, as she had forgotten how cold it really was outside. "Brr!" Ren shivered as she sat on a bench beside some netball courts, wrapping her blazer around herself. "Thank god school is almost over." Ren leaned back on the bench, staring up at the grey but sunny sky. "This'll give me time to myself." She gasped suddenly, and sat up straight, sharply looking left and right.

_That feeling again..._Ren thought, eyes wide. _It's coming from the town centre!_ After several seconds, Ren's panicked expression relaxed. She leaned back against the bench again, shielding her eyes.

"It's gone now." She said out loud to nobody. "Maybe what they're looking for isn't there."

_That's the seventh time this week it's happened._ Ren thought. _They appear, I sense them, and then they disappear. I haven't seen one up close, but they look kinda weird. If I recall correctly, they look like huge monsters. Why are they here? Why can I sense them when they appear? And more importantly...why can't anybody see them? I know an explosion is created sometimes when they appear, but I've heard everyone say it's just a gas explosion when they appear in town-y places. That can't be right. If there is a problem with the gas, the building has to close immediately. It's the law. So, why do these monsters keeping popping up everywhere? Are they're searching for something? If they are, then what?_

"Damn, this is confusing." Ren muttered.

"Tsubokura, what's going on?"

"Huh?" Ren sat up and looked around. "What was that?" She looked towards the back of a modern school building. "It came from over there." Letting curiosity and boredom take over, Ren went towards the wall and flattened herself against it, edging towards the corner.

"Then hurry up and tell me what the hell is going on here!"

"I wonder what's going on." Ren said to herself. She inched ever so slightly to the corner, and was just millimetres away from looking around the corner.

"That can't be right. If it was, then the Hell Butterfly would still be here."

_Hell Butterfly?_ Ren thought. _What's that? Who is he? No, what is he? Should I look closer?_

"Quickly! Is there anybody nearby who can help me?"

"Yes I should." Ren said, answering her own question. She took one last step and craned her neck around the corner. That was when he saw him. A short boy with white spiky hair and dressed in an attire from the samurai period minus the armour, except the boy was holding a phone to his head.

_Who's that?_ Ren thought. _And what's he talking about?_ Her eyes widened. _Wait. Maybe he's here about those monsters. He's got a phone, so maybe he's a messenger. Hang on a second...what's that? _Ren squinted at a stick she saw on his back, and that's when she realised. On his back was a sword!

"Holy crap!" Ren exclaimed without thinking. She clasped her hands over her mouth after realising what she did and quickly hid back around the corner, just as the boy turned his head towards her.

_You idiot, Ren!_

"Who's there? Come out and show yourself!"

_He's got a sword! He's got a freakin' sword! He's not a messenger; he's a monster hunter! His weapon's illegal! It's illegal! Crap! He knows I'm here! He's gonna hack me into shish kebab!_

"There's no use in hiding!"

_Well Ren Conner does not taste good with salad!_ With that, Ren turned on her heel and ran away from the strange boy as fast as she could. She only stopped when she saw some bike racks, which were often permanently empty, and hid amongst them, nervously waiting for the white haired boy to follow her. After several seconds of nothing, she sighed and stood up.

"I lost him." She wandered aimlessly through the school grounds, lost in her thoughts.

_He said he was looking for somebody to help him. _Ren thought. _I wonder why? If he's here about the monsters, why would he need somebody to help him? Wait a second... _Ren stopped walking, slightly shocked. _What if I'M the one he's looking for?_

"Nah!" Ren loudly dismissed the idea. "It can't be me!"

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

"Finally!" Ren sighed as the students of her school filled the courtyard, and Ren mixed into the crowd, feeling at ease now that school was over. Usually, Ren would dislike crowds, especially ones as big as this, but today, it made her feel a lot more comfortable. After all, there was the boy with the sword who was probably looking for her right now.

"What the..." Ren blinked when she saw a short boy with white hair and a sword strapped onto his back stagger out of the crowd and through a pair of glass doors into a another modern looking school building with red lined windows. The same boy Ren saw earlier. "Crap! My bag is in there!" Quickly, Ren jumped out of the crowd and entered the same school building, but made sure that she ended up in the corridor; she did not want to encounter the boy again. Not yet, anyway.

_He's looking for me! I know it! _Ren closed her eyes. _Okay, calm down. At least he didn't jump out of those people with his sword drawn. Now that would have been a disaster. Besides, I'm probably not the one he's looking for. There are lots of people who use the same common room as I do._

"Are you okay, Ren?"

"Eh?" Ren blinked herself out of her trance and looked up. Her eyes met the brown eyes of one of her closest friends, Stephanie, though she nicknamed her Steph. With her, Ren felt like she could talk about anything, no matter how crazy it may seem, as they both shared the same interests. This kind of person was exactly what Ren needed right now.

"Um...sorta." Ren answered.

"Oh?"

"Well, um..."

"Come on, you can tell me!" Steph said happily, linking her arm with Ren's, and she walked down the corridor with Ren in tow.

"I saw something that was, how should I put this? I saw someone who was Über weird!"

"Hold on a sec, I need to get my bag." Steph unlinked her arm from Ren's and reached towards a door on her left.

_That's the common room!_ Ren thought, wide eyed. _That monster hunter is in there!_ However, before Ren could warn her, Steph was already inside. Ren braced herself, ready to hear screams. Nothing. Nervously, Ren peered into the room and looked left and right. There wasn't a soul in sight. Relieved, Ren stepped into the common room and looked through the bag racks next to the kitchen area, thinking to herself how much they looked like bunk beds.

"Anyway, just before the bell went, I saw someone really strange." Ren continued. She soon found her bag, a beige cotton shoulder bag with the words "I Japan" written on in kanji.

"Strange how?" Steph asked, pulling down a white backpack with multicoloured dots of different sizes on it. Ren grumbled to herself about how lucky Steph was to be taller before continuing.

"Weeeeeell... it was strange because they were talking about stuff I've never heard before like...um..." Ren trailed off, trying to remember the conversation the boy was having. "What's it called...uh...ah, that's right!" Ren slammed a fist onto her palm. "He said Hell Butterfly...I think."

"Hell Butterfly? What's a Hell Butterfly?"

"Beats me." Ren shrugged. She threw her bag on one of the blue chairs and sat next to it on another identical chair. "Anyway, this guy...he looked kinda young. And a bit weird, too. I mean he had, like, a katana on his back."

"A katana?" Steph exclaimed, sitting beside Ren. "That's a one-edged sword, right?"

"Yup." Ren nodded.

"But weapons like that are illegal here, aren't they? Who would carry a sword around like that?"

_A monster hunter, that's who._ Ren thought to herself.

"See, that's what I thought, which made me think 'This guy isn't from around here'. Plus, his clothes looked like something from the samurai period." Ren answered, not wanting Steph to know of her suspicion. She had to keep the fact that she could sense monsters a secret. She didn't know why, but something about her knew that she must not tell anybody about the monsters. Not even her closest friend.

"You think he's a cosplayer?"

"Cosplayer? Nah, we don't have conventions in this town. If we did, I'd know." Ren said dismissively, though some part of her wished he was. "But still, he was talking like one." Ren stared into space as she thought. The way he was speaking was indeed similar to how characters in an anime would talk.

"Maybe it was a scripted performance he was rehearsing for?" Steph suggested.

"Ha-ha! Maybe." Ren laughed. "But, if he was, he was doing it very badly."

"What do you mean?"

"Since when do samurai's have mobile phones? And I don't think they would rehearse for a play over a phone."

"Well...what did he look like? Maybe we can get clues from that."

_Of course! Why didn't I think of that?_ Ren thought. _Steph knows all about history; maybe she can tell from his clothing or however they do it._

"Um, let's see..." Ren looked up at the ceiling in thought, tapping her chin. "Well...he was kind of young looking...and he's a little shorter than me..."

"What height are you again?"

"A hundred and sixty three centimetres." Ren answered quickly, as she hated discussing her height. "I'd say this guy was about a hundred and thirty easy. Anyway, he was dressed like a samurai, like I said, you know, in one of those kimonos. He had those funny trouser things on and everything. Hmmm, what else is there? Oh, yeah! How could I forget that?"

"What is it?"

"This boy had white hair!" Ren exclaimed. How could she forget that? It was the part of the boy that she seemed the most attracted to. She had never seen white hair on someone who looked so young before, and for some reason, she thought that his hair was...beautiful.

"So? He could be wearing a wig." Steph said.

_Way to spoil my good vibe._ Ren thought to herself.

"Or he bleaches his hair." Ren joked. After all, in this world, people only got white hair if they were elderly or bleached their hair. Somehow, that disappointed Ren.

"Yeah." Steph nodded, agreeing with Ren.

_Well, this is getting me nowhere. Steph doesn't seem to know what time period this boy could be from. With all the stuff I've been seeing, it's possible he could be a time traveller or something._

"Well, guess we'd better head off." Ren snapped herself out of her thoughts after Steph spoke. Without saying a word, Ren picked up her bag and slung it on her shoulder, Steph doing likewise. Together, they left the common room and headed down the corridor towards the outside world. In the few seconds that they walked together at this instant, neither of them said a word, as they were both thinking about what Ren saw. Who exactly was he?

"Eh?" Ren stopped walking, surprised.

"What's wrong?" Steph asked, stopping beside her.

_What was that just now?_ Ren thought. _It's like...there's somebody behind me. I can feel it. I can hear it._

"I...I swear I heard something." Ren said slowly, nervous as to what she was feeling.

"You did?"

"Yeah, like...footsteps."

_Should I look?_ Ren thought, almost paralysed with nerves. _But what if it's that boy? Is he here? Why would he follow me? Why here, of all places? What should I do?_

"Footsteps?" Ren sensed Steph look over her shoulder behind them, and somehow felt a little more relieved. Several seconds of silence followed. "I don't see anything."

_There's nothing there._ Ren thought, more relieved than she had ever been in her life.

"Yeah, I guess I was imagining things. Sorry for worrying you, Steph."

"So Ren, are you going to be doing something over the weekend?" Steph asked, continuing to walk out of the school with Ren.

"Nah, I'll just be going to the youth theatre on Saturday. Nothing really."

"Aw, too bad. I'm going to London for the day on Saturday."

"Eh? Lucky!" Ren exclaimed.

"I know, right? I'm going to be seeing a new Broadway show there with my parents."

"Aw!" Ren whined. They carried on talking like this when they arrived at the bus stop. While talking, Ren couldn't help but think about that mysterious boy she saw. Not only that, but she still had the feeling that she was being watched.

"AH-TCHOO!"

"Have you got a cold?" Steph asked.

"Nah, I'm sure someone's just talking about me." Ren said dismissively. "Oh, wait. Does it count if someone thinks about you?"

_Damn it! Stop thinking about this boy so much. It'll make you ill!_ Ren scolded herself.

"What if it is a cold?" Steph teased.

"Then it's just a sneeze." Ren shrugged.

_That boy..._Ren thought. _I wonder what he's doing now. He's probably gone back to where he came from by now. And I didn't even find out if he was a monster hunter. That sucks!_

"Bus!"

"Is it ours? Yeah it's ours!"

"Oh," Ren was startled when students began to move around her. "My bus is here. See you tomorrow, Steph!" Ren yelled out the last part before she was buried into the crowd of students struggling to get onto the bus and grab a good seat. She quickly walked onto the public bus, flashing her bus pass as she went past the driver, and stole her favourite seat. It was just next to the window, and close to the steps leading up to the elevated platform, which was where people her age would sit. She liked this seat, because when staring out of the window, she could detach herself from the world, even if it was for twenty minutes.

"Grah!"

"Hn?" Ren looked around the bus after hearing the cry. "Did anyone hear that?"

"Hear what?" Another friend of hers asked. She didn't look at their face, but she guessed that it was her best friend Tom, who was extremely popular. Certainly not popular enough for Ren. At least, that was what she thought.

"Nah, never mind. Must have been my imagination." Ren looked out of the window, just as the bus began to move off. "Again." She added, almost as an afterthought.

_That voice just now..._Ren thought_. It was familiar. I know it was only a yell, but I can't help but hear something about it I know._ Ren's eyes widened. _Wait, what if it's that boy?_ Ren glanced around the bus without turning away from the window. Other than the loudly talking students, there was nobody in sight. Not even a spike of the white hair Ren found herself liking. _I don't see him anywhere_. Ren looked back at the window, staring at her own reflection. _I was probably hearing things, but what if he was here? Does that mean he's following someone? And, what if that someone is me? Is he a monster hunter? If he is, then maybe I really am the one he's following. But, the monsters showing up have got to be a coincidence. Or is it?_

"Ren," Tom whispered by her ear. "It's your stop."

"Huh?" Ren blinked out of her thoughts, and sure enough, she saw the familiar surroundings of her home village. "Already?" Ren pressed the stop bell, filling the bus with a loud DING!

"Okay, see you tomorrow!" With that, Ren grabbed her school bag and stumbled down the corridor of the bus, as it was still moving when she stood up, using the poles in the bus as support. As soon as the bus stopped, she hopped onto the pavement and walked out onto the quiet road, knowing no cars would come through. Still walking, she adjusted her school bag one last time before continuing to go towards the corner that leads to her home.

_Alright, the first time weird explosions happened was in Birmingham; a month after I went there myself. It happened again in Stamton, and it was two weeks after I went there. The first time I saw the monster was on the school bus just as it was leaving for the city. _Ren looked at the field behind the wall where the road she was about to walk down was, where a field of grass and horse jumps lay. _It was in that field, and then it disappeared just seconds after I saw it. That was a week ago. Then I sensed it again today in the city centre, and there are the times before that, too. These appearances have been happening for a whole month. It's the middle of January, so it's not far off from my last birthday. _Ren tapped her chin in thought. _Could this be some kind of pattern?_

"Hey, you!"

_What?_ Ren stopped walking with a gasp. _It's that voice again! Is it him? Did he really follow me all the way home?_

"I know you can hear me. You are the only one who can. I have something I need to discuss with you of the upmost importance."

_It's him! Why is he here? Alright, calm down, Ren. Just talk to him. Maybe he's not really that threatening. _Ren turned around just as a bitterly cold wind blew through the air. She found herself face to face with the white haired boy she saw not too long ago, and he wore a focused expression on his face. _Wow, he's a lot younger than I thought he would be. But then again, he is from some place completely different from here. And, am I really the only one who can see him?_

"Um...can I help?" Ren asked nervously.

"I...I..." He stuttered in response, losing his calm expression and unfolding his arms.

_Yup, he's definitely a kid._ Ren thought to herself. _But, he is kinda cute._

"Are you okay?" Ren asked, flicking some of her hair over her shoulder.

"Ahem, well..." The boy coughed, and after a few seconds, he was serious once again, and Ren found herself feeling a little disappointed that he was focused again.

_He definitely looks like that boy._ Ren thought. _But, what if it's just my imagination? I mean, several things that have happened today could have been coincidence._

"As I was saying, you are the only person in this world who can see me."

_I have to find out!_

"Time out!" Ren said loudly, making a T shape with her hands.

"Eh?"

"Just gimme a sec. I think I know who you are." Ren went over to the boy, looking closely at his surprised face. She then proceeded to circle the boy, inspecting almost every part of him. She even looked closely at the sword on his back, and at the spikes in his hair.

"U...Um." The boy started as Ren paced around him, becoming more and more certain about his identity.

"AHA!" Ren exclaimed, startling the young swordsman. Ren hurried back to face him, beaming. "I knew you looked familiar!" Ren pointed at him. "You are the boy I saw this afternoon!" She yelled, a proud look on her face. "And you followed me from the common room onto the bus, didn't you?"

"You...You figured that much out?" He asked, wearing a shocked expression that surprised Ren.

_Man, this guy is so slow!_

"Well, yeah." Ren retorted, slightly more impatient than she intended. "I could hear your footsteps. Plus, your yelp on the bus was familiar. I mean, I did overhear you talking on your mobile phone." Ren made a phone shape with her hand and indicated.

_Okay, he seems to be the reliable kind. But, I don't even know what he is. I guess I should break the ice._

"So, are you a time travelling samurai, or some kind of ghost"? Ren asked, cocking her head.

"Well, something like that..." The boy answered slowly.

_Oh, great! Now he thinks I'm weird!_

"I am a Soul Reaper. I have come here to investigate some...monsters. However, I discovered that Soul Reapers don't exist here, and I am powerless. Nobody can see or even hear me. Nobody except you. Therefore, you are the only person I can trust."

_A Soul Reaper, huh? So, he's a ghost?_ Ren thought as the boy spoke. _Well, that explains a lot. But, I'm the only one he can trust? That's too weird._

"Should you really put your trust into someone that quickly?" Ren asked innocently. "I mean, we only just met."

_Dammit, I did it again! _Ren thought, almost thunder struck. _Now he thinks I'm REALLY weird! I can tell just by looking at him! Quick, gotta let him know it's a habit!_

"Oops, I was honest again, wasn't I? Sorry about that, um..." Ren scratched her head, trying to remember if the boy ever introduced himself. "I'm sorry; I don't know your name."

"My name?"

_Good. He didn't introduce himself yet._

"Well, yeah. I've got to know your name if I'm the only one you can trust, or whatever."

_Alright, even if he thinks I'm weird, the least I can do is get his name before he finds somebody else who can see him._ Ren decided in her thoughts.

"Yes, of course. Forgive me." The boy cleared his throat briefly. "I...My name is Toshiro Hitsugaya."

"Toshiro, huh?" Ren lamented out loud. "That's Japanese, right?"

"Yes, how did you know?" He asked, amazed.

_Sweet!_ Ren thought triumphantly. _I've got his trust again._

"Oh, I have a knack for these things." Ren said modestly. She turned her head away and stared up at the sky. "Toshiro...Toshiro..." Ren said the name out loud. Yes, it had a good ring to it. She liked it. She turned back to Toshiro and smiled happily at him. "You have a nice name." Toshiro blushed lightly, and it took everything in Ren's power not to throw her arms around him. He just looked too cute!

"Oh! I need to introduce myself too! Where are my manners?" Ren outstretched a hand towards Toshiro. "My name is Ren. Ren Conner."

"Ren?"

"Yeah. Weird name, huh?" Ren glanced down at her hand, which was still extended towards Toshiro. "Um, are you going to shake that?"

"Excuse me?" Toshiro said, confused.

"Well, usually, when people meet each other for the first time, they shake each other's hands. Or maybe people like you don't do that?" Ren made sure the last part sounded like a suggestion.

"..." Toshiro stared down at Ren's hand.

_Alright, this is it._ Ren thought to herself. _You've made a couple of screw ups, but this will make or break this relationship. Hell, I don't care if it's because of these weird monsters; I am going to make the most of this. Oh, and I'll ask about the monsters, too._

"Very well." Toshiro clasped Ren's hand, surprising her a little. "I am pleased to meet you."

_He shook it!_ Ren thought, beaming. _That means it's a bond! Alright, screw it being a business relation; I'm gonna make sure I make the most of it while I can!_

"Likewise." Ren responded, smiling her cheerful smile.

And so, the wheel of fate began to turn.

Black shoes.

White hair.

Two completely different people meet under unlikely circumstances.

Each of them carries their own objectives.

However, nobody could have suspected the ties of destiny that made them meet on this day.

Nobody could guess that this handshake would create a path of bloodshed.

Nobody could have known of the hardship that lay before the Soul Reaper and the human.

Nobody could even begin to guess about the true bonds that made these two people meet.

Nobody could know that this bond would deepen into something that is a lot more than a partnership.

Nobody could possibly know that the fate of every living thing could rest on these people.

And, nobody could know that this meeting would change their lives forever.


	3. Infiltration

**Okay, everyone! This is the first official chapter of Fate and Destiny! Let me know how you find it! Oh, and have a nice summer too!**

Chapter 1

Infiltration

"WAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"

"What is it?" Toshiro was quick to rush into the room Ren was in, thinking the worst was happening.

"There's a body on my sofa!" Ren yelled, pointing at a yellow sofa. Sure enough, there was a body lying across it. Why there was a sofa in Ren's study, he did not know, but all he was focused on at the moment was the body with white hair, a black shirt and white trousers. Toshiro knew it was his Gigai right away, but he knew that, with Ren, it was going to take a lot of explaining. He was lucky that her parents weren't home yet; the explanation was going to take a long time.

"I can explain..." Toshiro started calmly. "You see, that's-"

"I know what it is!" Ren yelled, interrupting him. "What I want to know is why there's a body in my house! Wait a sec..." Ren looked from the Gigai to Toshiro, then back again, and then back at Toshiro. "It looks like you."

"Yes, as I was trying to say, it is my Gigai."

"Gigai?" Ren repeated. "What's that?"

"A Gigai is what Soul Reapers like myself use when sent to the World of the Living. It allows us to interact with other humans and the world when we are, how should I put this, off duty."

"Oh, that makes sense." Ren nodded.

"But, I should warn you. As soon as I put this Gigai on..." Toshiro pulled his Gigai up by the arm so that it was sitting on the sofa. "I will be unable to exit due to my lack of powers. In other words, we are completely vulnerable if the enemy attacks."

"Hey, I'm tougher than I look." Ren grinned.

"Whatever." Toshiro held the Gigai with both hands, and there was a light blue glow as his spirit body merged with the Gigai, and all Ren could do was watch. When the glowing disappeared, Toshiro looked at his hands and flexed his fingers, checking to see if the transition was a success. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, especially considering the fact that he was no longer a Soul Reaper.

"Alright, now I'm just like you." Toshiro looked at Ren's expression, which seemed to be a mixture of shock and surprise. "Yes, naturally it's rare for humans like you to see something like this." Toshiro said, standing up off the sofa.

"That's..." Ren started. "That's so cool!" She exclaimed, dropping her bag and bringing her fists up, beaming. Toshiro was speechless. He processed the words spoken, but each time, they echoed through his head.

"Huh?" He said flatly.

"There was a glow and everything! That's so awesome! Where can I get one?"

"That's a, um...a new reaction." Toshiro muttered.

"Anyway, there are some things I want to ask you, other than that Gigai, or whatever you call it. Like, what Soul Reapers are."

_I have to know. Is he a monster hunter or what?_ Ren thought to herself. _If he is, then I could definitely use his help._

"It's a long story." Toshiro said dismissively. Ren responded by falling back on her sofa, sitting cross legged on the cushions.

"Well then, explain away!" She almost exclaimed, outstretching her arms. "I've got nothing better to do!"

Sometime later

"Okay, let's get this straight." Ren started slowly. "You are a captain of a division of Soul Reapers in this place called the Soul Society?" Toshiro nodded. "You come to earth so you can fight these monsters called Hollows and send lost souls to the Soul Society?" Toshiro nodded again. "And this mission you were sent on is so you can investigate some monsters who are like Hollows but are not Hollows, but you lost your powers almost as soon as you arrived because Soul Reapers don't exist here, and now I'm the only one who can see you, so you need my help?" Toshiro nodded for the final time.

"..." Ren was silent, processing what Toshiro said, while the latter was bracing himself for whatever reaction may come. She could go all out and throw a glass at him, or maybe even laugh. Or, even worse, do a Kurosaki and flip a table over while yelling how absurd it was.

"Okay." Toshiro was brought back to earth after what Ren said.

"Excuse me?"

"Okay." Ren repeated. Pause. "I believe you."

_Just like that?_ Toshiro thought, dumbfounded.

"Do you have any idea how gullible that made you?" Toshiro almost yelled.

"Yeah, I guess I am a little gullible."

"And you're okay with it?"

"Nobody's perfect." Ren shrugged. "Anyway, I'm the only one who can see you; I knew that before I knew what you were. What I want to know is what you're going to do now."

"I need to infiltrate the school you attend."

"And how are you going to do that?"

"I was going to use this." Toshiro pulled out from his trouser pocket a blue stick-like object with a small switch on top of it. Ren narrowed her eyes at it, inspecting the device closely.

"A pez dispenser?" She said suddenly. "So you're gonna bribe 'em with candy?"

"No!" Toshiro yelled. "This is called a kioku chikan."

"Kioku chikan..." Ren repeated slowly. "Ki-o-ku chi-ka-n...Ah!" Ren snapped her fingers. "Kioku means memory, right? So does that thing alter their memories or something?"

_She's figured it out without me telling her?_ Toshiro thought, unable to hide his shock. _She certainly thinks fast!_

"So does it change their memories or what?" Ren asked.

"Yes...Yes, it does." Toshiro answered with some unintended hesitation.

_Yes!_ Ren thought triumphantly. _Now I'm not useless! But, I'd better keep the monsters thing a secret for a while. After all, if he's lost his powers then he can't fight the Hollows, if that's what they are._

"Wait a minute."

"What's wrong?" Toshiro asked.

"If Soul Reapers don't exist, and your cell phone is broken, then..." Ren pointed at the device. "Wouldn't that be useless, too?"

_She's right!_ Toshiro thought. _I didn't even begin to think about that possibility!_

"Damn." Toshiro hissed. "But, what if it does work?"

"I know!" Ren stood up in front of Toshiro. "Try it on me!"

"What?"

"Try it on me!" Ren urged. "Just flick the thingy, and make me forget about meeting you, or whatever."

"Are you sure?" Toshiro asked. "If it works, you'll forget all about Soul Reapers and me."

"Yeah, yeah! Whatever! Just do it!"

"Okay..." Toshiro raised the memory replacer up to Ren's head height. But, just before he could flick the switch, he stopped himself.

_Why am I hesitating?_ Toshiro thought. _It probably won't work on her, and I've done this several times before, but why am I hesitating now? What is this?_

"Hey, are you gonna do it or what?" Ren asked, somewhat impatient. She knew that intelligence wasn't going to be enough to win over Toshiro, so she decided to show that she would be willing to do anything if it meant helping somebody she knew. Sometimes, her selflessness got her into trouble, but that part of her is what her friends liked about her. And, she hoped that Toshiro would like that about her, too.

"Fine. Here goes." Toshiro, shaking off his hesitation, flicked the switch on the device. There was a puff of smoke, and Ren fell back on her sofa with a yelp.

"What hit me, a truck?" Ren exclaimed. She stared up at Toshiro, who was still holding the chikan in his hand, but now had a spring with a plastic head of a dog on the top springing left and right.

"Well?" Toshiro asked.

"I still recognise you. Wait, lemme check...Your name is Toshiro, right?" Toshiro nodded. Silence. "We're screwed, aren't we?"

"Looks like it." Toshiro sighed, stuffing the useless chikan back in his pocket.

"Actually, there is another way you can get into my school." Ren said.

"Ren, I'm home!"

"Yah beh!" Ren flinched.

_Amazing..._Toshiro thought, sweat dropping. _She can even swear in Japanese._

"Crap! Mom's home!" Ren stood up, looking left and right. "Sorry, but you've gotta hide." Without warning, Ren began to push Toshiro towards another door. With one hand, she kept a hold of his collar, and she opened the door with the other hand.

"W-Wait! What're you doing?"

"Sorry, but can you hide in here for a bit?" Ren shoved Toshiro through the door, which he noticed looked like a garage, though it smelled of dust and bricks.

"Hold on!" Toshiro started, before the door was closed, and Toshiro was left alone to the sound of the refrigerator humming. "She apologises too much." Toshiro grumbled. After his eyes had adjusted somewhat to the darkness, Toshiro noticed that there were several cardboard boxes littering the garage, along with a fridge, a workbench and a long floor to ceiling cupboard in the middle of it all. And yet, there wasn't a single car in sight.

"That's not the only thing that's strange." Toshiro said to himself. What was strange was this girl. What was her name again? Ren. Her appearance may have caught Toshiro off guard a little, but underneath all that, she was impossible to figure out. She's so honest, that it is almost a fault. She is intelligent, yet she is also naive and dense. On top of all that, she is completely oblivious and unaware of her surroundings, and she seemed rather boisterous for a girl. But, Toshiro couldn't help but feel that Ren was rather dependable, and the type of person who was loyal to her friends. In short, Ren was a complex girl. A complex girl that Toshiro had to trust in order to complete his mission.

"Where's the light switch?" Toshiro wondered, shrugging off his thoughts of Ren, and feeling the wall with his hand for any sign of a switch.

...

"Have you got any homework?" Ren's mother asked, while Ren was staring up at her, looking as though there was nothing suspicious going on. Her mother was several heads taller than her, and had short brown hair, as well as the same blue eyes as Ren.

"Yes." Ren answered in a bored tone.

"Are you doing it?"

"Yes." She said again.

"It certainly didn't look like it."

"Well, I just wanted to check we had enough Coke in the fridge. Anything wrong with that?"

"No. Nothing at all. I just-"

"AAAAAH!"

CRASH!

"What was that just now?" Ren's mother asked, looking towards the garage door. "Ren, did you hear that?" She then turned to look at her daughter, who was looking very nervous.

"No." Ren answered slowly, trying to look as innocent as possible.

"I could have sworn I heard something..." Her mother started.

"Ah, I'm sure it was nothing, Mom." Ren said quickly, grinning. "Tell you what, why don't you get upstairs and get dressed, then I can make you a cup of tea. How's that?"

"But-"

"Go, Mom." Ren almost ordered, and her confused mother left the room to her bedroom. When she was certain that her mother was upstairs, Ren immediately went to the garage, and turned on the light switch. There, she saw a huge pile of cardboard boxes, and a lone twitching hand poking out of the top. "Um...are you alive?"

"GAH!" Toshiro yelled, bursting out of the boxes. "It's a miracle I am! And why did you push me in here?" Toshiro yelled.

"I can't have Mom finding out about you yet." Ren said simply.

"You could have warned me, though!"

"You've got a sock on your head."

"Grrr." Toshiro growled out of frustration, grabbed a dirty sock from the top of his white hair, and angrily threw it on the ground. He took a deep breath before he regained his composure. This girl was seriously aggravating! "Anyway, what were you saying before?"

"About my school?"

"Yes. You say there is another way. I want to hear it."

"Well..."

The next day, Friday, 3.45pm

"This is your big plan?" Toshiro grumbled angrily, his eyebrow twitching. Before the two of them was a green oak door with a metal plate saying "Headmaster" on it. Toshiro had come, albeit grudgingly, in the same outfit as before, and Ren was in her school uniform again.

"What's wrong with sweet-talking the head?" Ren asked innocently. "He'll probably accept you as a transfer student if I explain things to him."

"This has an eighty per cent chance of failing."

"If you have any better ideas, I'd like to hear them, Captain Hitsugaya." Ren said in defence, hands on her hips. Toshiro flinched. Somehow, he was annoyed that she was right. But, at least she referred to him by his title, unlike another human he knew.

"Fine." Toshiro muttered grudgingly.

"Hee hee!" Ren grinned triumphantly. She turned her attention back to the door and knocked three times.

"Enter." A deep voice said from inside the office.

"Alright, play it cool, and only speak when you're spoken too." Ren whispered, before opening the door, while Toshiro was secretly seething about a human giving him orders. "Good afternoon, sir." Ren said politely, stepping into the middle of the office.

"You wanted to see me?"

"Yes, sir. I have someone wishing to enter school this term. I thought it might be alright, seeing as we just started a new one at all, but I apologise if I have caused any inconvenience." Ren gave a small bow at her apology, while Toshiro noted, peering around the door frame, how Ren had even developed Japanese mannerisms. "I hope you'll be able to accept him. He'll be an asset to this school, I promise you."

"I'll be the judge of that. Is he here?"

"Yep. Just as promised." Ren looked over her shoulder at Toshiro, wearing her usual cheerful smile. "Come on in!" She said happily. Toshiro, taking that as his cue, walked into the office, carrying his air of confidence and authority that he had with him as a captain. Immediately, he was face to face with the headmaster. He had dark brown hair with a slight grey tint to it, and piercing grey eyes. He sat behind a dark oak desk, and his eyes seemed to gaze straight through Toshiro, already judging him.

"Are you the boy Miss Conner speaks so highly of?" The headmaster asked in a deep yet gruff voice.

"Y...Yes." Toshiro answered, not expecting the nervous stutter at the start. "My name is Toshiro Hitsugaya."

"Oh? That name sounds foreign. Miss Conner, is he from this country?"

"Um, no. But, he is a British citizen." Ren answered, not losing her focused stare.

"But how are you acquainted with this boy."

"Relative." Ren lied.

"Pfft." Toshiro stifled a laugh at Ren's terrible lie, but quickly pretended to cough as soon as he felt the cold, grey eyes fall on him.

"I see no resemblance. And there is nobody with the last name of "Hitsugaya" in your family records."

"Like I said, he is from another country. He was adopted into my father's brother's family, and his name was changed, but he still wants to be known as Hitsugaya, if that isn't a problem, sir."

"No, no problem at all."

_She's such a terrible liar!_ Toshiro thought, staring at Ren. _And this old man is buying it!_

"What I do have a problem with is his white hair. It has to go; it is against the rules to bleach hair." A vein throbbed on Toshiro's head in anger.

"I-Mhmf" Ren quickly covered his mouth with her hand before Toshiro could yell anything in response.

"It's his natural colour, sir." Ren said with a nervous smile. "It's weird, but it's just the way it is." Ren removed her hand from Toshiro's mouth. "Right?" She stared at Toshiro, expecting him to answer.

"It's...ahem...It's my natural hair colour, Mr..." Toshiro searched the man's desk for a nameplate, and eventually found one sitting just in the middle of the desk. "...Watson." Hell, he could handle this old man. If Ren can, then he certainly can, too. Besides, Yamamoto made this guy look like the little boy next door.

"I'm still not convinced." Mr Watson showed a sheet of paper, which had the family tree of Ren's family on it. "His name is nowhere in sight. And as far as I know, your father's brother does not have any children."

"Oh, but there is a simple explanation behind this."

"Tch." Toshiro turned away, knowing that the plan had failed.

"You see, he's..." Before Toshiro could hear the rest of the sentence, a high pitched noise went through the room, and white vibrations seemed to be travelling out of Ren's head. Even though her lips were moving, Toshiro could only hear the high ringing.

_What's that sound?_ Toshiro thought. _And what is she saying?_

"Uh..." Toshiro moaned, placing a hand on his head, and he would have collapsed on the ground had he not placed his foot behind him to keep his balance.

_I feel...dizzy. Why aren't they dizzy too?_ Somewhat weakly, Toshiro looked up at Ren, who was still talking. _Is it her?_

"And that's the story behind it." Ren finished. The noise stopped almost as quickly as it came, and Toshiro found himself able to stand properly, although he still felt dizzy.

"Very well." The headmaster said calmly. "He is hereby accepted into the school. You two are to come to school as normal on Monday, where Toshiro shall receive his student ID card. However, you must buy the uniform today. I believe the shop is open. Get there before it closes." As he spoke, Toshiro couldn't help but notice two things. First; the headmaster's eyes were now a much lighter colour than they were before. Second; the family tree looked different. Upon closer inspection, Toshiro realised that, on Ren's father's side of the tree, near the bottom, his own name was added to the branch, and listed as "adopted". How his name got there, he didn't know. "Here is his record. Take care of it; he'll need it tomorrow." The headmaster slid a sheet of paper towards Ren, who picked it up and read through the details. "On there is his form group and timetable. Dismissed."

"Thank you, sir!" Ren said happily. "Come on, let's go!" She grabbed Toshiro's hand and led him out of the office, being sure to close the door behind her. "Isn't that great? You can stay!"

"Huh?" Toshiro said, not paying proper attention.

"Hey, are you feeling okay?" Ren peered closely at Toshiro. "You don't look so hot."

"I'm fine." Toshiro said dismissively. "More importantly, how did you convince the old man to let me stay?" Ren opened her mouth to answer, but as soon as she blinked, her expression was filled with confusion.

"Yeah, what did I say?" Ren straightened up, scratching her head in thought.

"That's what I want to know!" Toshiro said, exasperated.

"Aha!" Ren laughed nervously. "Sorry, I don't know."

_It was her making that noise._ Toshiro thought. _It must be. It's the only explanation. But, the fact that she has forgotten makes it harder to prove. Although, she could just be dense._

"Say, you got any money on you?" Ren asked.

"Eh?" Toshiro blinked.

"Do you have any money?" Ren repeated, annoyed.

"Yeah. The currency I use still works here." Toshiro responded, not paying any attention to Ren, as he was still concerned with what happened in the office. Why didn't they notice? More importantly, how did his name get on the family tree?

"Good. Because I'm not paying for your uniform."

"Alright." Toshiro nodded. Silence. "Wait, what?"

...

"Hmmm...Say, do you prefer long or short sleeves?" Ren asked, holding up two packets of three white shirts.

"Short." Toshiro answered almost automatically.

"Alrighty, short sleeved it is." Ren placed both packets back on the shelf and began shuffling through them. The school shop they were inside was very small and cramped, with small shelves in the middle of the room, along with racks and other shelves lining the walls of the room, along with three changing rooms and a cash desk, which had hair pieces and stationary on display, and almost all of it had the school crest on it. Currently, Toshiro and Ren were the only ones in the shop, which provided some form of comfort to Toshiro. What he was about to ask Ren was something that no other human should know.

"Hey-"

"Is it alright if you're in year 9?" Ren asked, interrupting Toshiro.

"Year 9?" Toshiro repeated, secretly annoyed that Ren had interrupted him.

"Yeah. I guess the headmaster thought you were fourteen. You know, because you're..." Ren trailed off when Toshiro shot her a glare before she could even begin to utter the word 'short'. "Well, what year do you want to be in?"

"Your year, of course." Toshiro answered snappily.

"Huh?" Ren exclaimed. "That's the top year!"

"Top...year?" Toshiro said slowly, stunned. "That means...you're..."

"Yeah. I'm eighteen. My birthday was not that long ago."

_She's an adult!_ Toshiro exclaimed in his thoughts. _She's a legal adult! But she's...she's so childish! And small!_

"Ah-tchoo!" Ren sneezed. "Heh, somebody must be talking about me. So, should I tell him you're not a year 9, then? 'Cause he gave me this form, and he says you're a year 9. Shall I change it?"

"Do...Do whatever you want." Toshiro answered, recovering from the shock, but was still rather surprised.

"Okay, you're in year thirteen, now." Ren proceeded to pick up a black tie and placed it in a deep burgundy bag, which had other items for Toshiro. "Now, back to the shirts." Ren carried on looking through the packets for the correct shirts.

"Listen, there's something that has been bothering me."

"Eh?" Ren blinked. "What is it?" Ren picked up a packet of shirts and glanced at Toshiro. "Nah, too big." She placed the packet back on the shelf and carried on searching.

"In that office, you were telling terrible lies that nobody could fall for. Not even Kurosaki would believe them."

"Okay, so I'm not a good liar, so what?" Ren said quickly, not looking at Toshiro. "Wait, who's Kurosaki?"

"A person I know, but that's not important. Lies aside, somehow that old man believed everything you were saying. On top of that, my name is on your family tree."

"Really? That's cool." Ren said dismissively. "Aha!" Ren triumphantly held up a pack of three shirts. "Here it is!"

"This isn't a laughing matter!" Toshiro almost snapped, impatient. "I heard something in that room. And vibrations were coming out of your head. In other words, you did something to that man so that I could come here, and I want to know what!"

"!" Ren gasped. She did something to the headmaster? Like hypnosis? Impossible! But, if what Toshiro was saying was true, then it would explain a lot to Ren. For starters, it could be an explanation as to why she could sense the monsters. But, she couldn't have Toshiro know about that. Not yet, at least.

"You can ask all you want about it, but you'll get no answers." Ren said forcefully, her voice losing the bubbly tone it usually carried. Instead, it seemed rather fierce. Toshiro noticed this, and he became rather nervous. "I can't remember anything."

"Look, I'm just trying to get some answers." Toshiro reasoned.

"I'm as clueless as you are." Ren continued, dropping the shirts into the plastic bag. "Talking to me is a waste of your breath.

_What is this feeling?_ Toshiro thought. _For some reason, she seems...different._

"This discussion is over." Ren picked up the bag and made her way to the counter.

"Ah! Wait!" Toshiro gasped, reaching out and touching her back.

"Kya!" Ren yelped, dropping the bag and spinning around to face Toshiro with a both surprised and scared look on her face.

"Uh..." Toshiro started, dumbfounded.

"Don't touch my back." Ren said nervously. "I hate it when people do that."

"S...Sorry." Toshiro apologised.

_She...She actually said 'Kya!'. But..._ Toshiro turned away, making sure that the small blush on his face was hidden._ It was kinda cute._

"It's alright." Ren smiled at Toshiro. "I get a little surprised when somebody touches me when I'm not expecting it. It's complicated, though."

"There's no need to explain. At least you're back to normal now." Toshiro said without thinking.

"Back to normal?" Ren cocked her head to the side, confused. "What're you talking about?"

"Never mind." Toshiro sighed. He made a mental note never to make Ren angry. He had a feeling that she was not to messed with when provoked.

"Right. Let's get your uniform sorted, and then we should get the bus-" Ren stopped mid-sentence with a gasp. Her wide-eyed stare immediately went to the fire exit.

"Hn? What's wrong?"

_That feeling again._ Ren thought. _It's a monster. And it's right here on the school grounds. It's by the netball courts. I was there yesterday! They're after me! I know it! First I can sense them, then this Soul Reaper shows up out of nowhere looking for me, and now something weird happened to Mr Watson that I can't even remember. I'm connected to it all! But why? More importantly, there are still students here. Students that can't see the monster. They're in danger!_

"Hello?" Toshiro said. Without warning, Ren pushed the fire exit door open and ran outside. "Hey!" Toshiro ran outside, and found that Ren was already running around the corner. "Wait!" Toshiro proceeded to chase Ren through the school grounds. What was up with that girl? Why would she take off like that? Straight away, Toshiro concluded that Ren knew more than she was letting on.

"Oof!" Toshiro grunted after running into Ren's back after she suddenly stopped short of the netball courts. "Why did you run away like that?" Toshiro demanded, staring up at Ren's face. His eyes widened. Ren's face was not smiling like usual, but instead had a look that he had not seen her wear yet. It was a look of absolute fear. "What is it?" Ren said nothing in speechless fear, and pointed a shaking finger ahead of her at the netting surrounding the netball courts. "Over there, huh?"

_Is it a Hollow?_ Toshiro thought automatically, even though he knew Hollows won't exist here. He sharply looked towards where Ren was pointing...and soon found himself frozen on the spot, his eyes wide out of pure terror.

"Wh...What the hell is that thing?"

**So...what the hell is that thing? Check in next time, and you'll find out exactly what the hell that thing was! (Man, that sounded so cool in my head, but on paper it looks stupid! Ah well, it's done now.)**


	4. Research

**I'm in uni! Honestly, you guys, university is so AWESOME! Well, I have to study too, but the bits in between are a blast! But, luckily, I've had time to do this! Enjoy!**

Chapter 2

Research

"Wh…What the hell is that thing?" Toshiro, for the first time in years, found himself frozen out of pure terror after seeing this monster. He could understand why it was similar to a Hollow, but every inch of his soul knew that this was nothing like a Hollow, even if it did look similar. The body structure, for starters, and the dark colour of the body were just like a Hollow. But, where was the hole in the chest? And why was the white mask only covering the eyes? Not only that, but this beast was drooling from a mouth that looked otherworldly to Toshiro. Not like a Hollow at all. And it's eyes. The eyes that were looking at Ren and Toshiro were soulless and blank, yet they seemed to be expressing a single emotion; rage. Indeed, Toshiro could understand how this monster was mistaken for a Hollow, but Toshiro was staring straight at it, and it was definitely not a Hollow. Then, what was it? Toshiro still wondered this as the monster advanced towards the pair, the saliva making a trail of puddles behind it. He knew he had to do something, even if it was to run, but he couldn't. All that was in his mind was the fear of this beast.

"H…Hey." Ren started, her voice shaking. "This…This wouldn't happen to be a Hollow, would it?" No response. "Well, is it?" Ren looked down at Toshiro, and gasped. His eyes were wide with fear, and his entire body was shaking.

_He's scared._ Ren thought. _Really scared. Then, does that mean this thing isn't a Hollow? Whatever it is… _Ren glanced at the monster, whose mouth was gaping and drooling at the two of them, ready to swallow them whole. _I have to do something._ Slowly, Ren bent down and picked up a rock from the ground. She never broke eye contact with the monster as it growled at her, impatient to eat its meal.

"Hope you like rock!" Ren yelled, throwing it as hard as she could. It was successful, and it lodged itself in the monsters eye. It roared with pain and stood up on its hind legs, clutching the eye. "Oops." Ren muttered. "I guess I'm stronger than I think. Gah, I don't have time for this!" Ren grabbed Toshiro's hand. "Oi, c'mon, we're getting out of here. Eh?" Ren suddenly noticed something strange about the monster. The screams were getting louder, and the body was starting to faintly glow. Quickly, Ren took out her cell phone, and recorded the monster on video. The white glow spread through the entire body, until it was completely covered in white light. Before Ren knew it, the monster dissolved into ashes that drifted away into the wind.

"That was…weird. No, weird is an understatement." Ren said to herself, putting her phone away. "I'll have a look at this video later." Ren then proceeded to grab the shoulders of a still petrified Toshiro. "Hey, earth to soul reaper captain! Come in!"

"Huh?" Toshiro blinked himself out of his trance. "What the…What happened?" Toshiro looked towards where the monster was. "Where did it go?"

"Um…I think I killed it." Ren answered.

"You what?"

"Yeah…I, like, threw a rock into its eye. It was all AAAAARRGGHH! RAWR!" Ren imitated the monster's behaviour, with the stagger and eye-clutching included. "And then it glowed and turned to ashes. I've got a video of it." Ren took out her phone and played the video again, sowing the screen to Toshiro. "Hey, you think people who can't see the monster will just think it's me filming some ghost netball game, or something?"

"So, you can see them?" Toshiro asked.

"Yeah." Ren nodded. "I mean, I can sense when they appear, but this is the first time I've seen one up close and personal, like." Ren put her phone away once again as she spoke.

"Would you mind telling me why I was not informed of this?" Toshiro demanded, extremely furious that Ren hid this from him.

"But what would you do if you knew?" Ren asked simply, without losing her temper in the slightest, which somehow relieved Toshiro. "Freeze like you did just now? You know that you can't fight against them without powers, and I can't fight that well, either. That rock was just out of pure luck. If I told you I could sense them, then you wouldn't have been able to do a thing."

"…" Toshiro looked away. She was right, even though he hated to admit it. In the face of Hollows, Toshiro would have no problem fighting them off, but in his powerless state, he wasn't able to even remotely fight back against that… that… Whatever that monster was, he was powerless to do anything against it, yet Ren was the one who killed it while he was frozen in fear. It was humiliating.

"You're right." Toshiro sighed. "I'm sorry, alright?"

"Nah, you don't need to apologise." Ren shrugged. "We'll just try and figure this all out when we get to my place."

"Hey, you two!"

"Eh?" Ren and Toshiro looked over their shoulders. A woman in her fifties was standing behind them several metres away, and she did not look very happy.

"I've got a bag of clothes unpaid for in my shop! So unless you changed your minds, cash up!"

"He's paying." Ren said, pointing at the unsuspecting Toshiro.

"Hey!"

…

"And that's the jist of it." Ren paused the video she recorded, which was transferred to her computer back in her study, and enlarged to see the clearer details. "The rock got in his eye, it screamed, and then poof!"

"Strange…" Toshiro said thoughtfully. "A rock wouldn't normally kill a Hollow. If these things are similar to Hollows, then a simple rock wouldn't even leave a mark. Are they really that weak?"

"Maybe. Or maybe there are, like, different levels of monsters. Do Hollows have levels?" Ren asked Toshiro.

"Yes, they do. Then, it's possible that the monsters have different…levels." Toshiro folded his arms and wandered away from Ren. "But, how do we know for sure? Are there more of them out there? If so, then we need to find a way to determine their differences in strength. Then again, it could be dangerous. We'll be risking our lives." Toshiro turned around to face Ren, who was still sitting in front of her desk. "Do you know anybody who is a capable fighter?"

"…" Ren raised a finger and pointed at Toshiro, a blank look on her face.

"I mean someone other than me!" Toshiro yelled, a vein throbbing on his head. There was a silence as Ren lowered her finger. Then, she pointed at herself. "And what exactly can you do?" Toshiro asked rudely.

"I'm a purple belt in karate."

"It'll take more than fists to kill a monster."

"But I killed one today."

"That was luck. You said so yourself."

"Well, I do have a reputation of having good luck." Ren stood up and walked up to Toshiro. "Don't worry about it. We're both fighters in our own right, with or without powers." Ren smiled happily. "You can pick up a rounders bat and pretend it's a sword!"

"Rounders?"

"It's a little like baseball. Aaaaanyway…How are we going to keep track of these monsters. Hmmm…." Ren folded her arms and tapped her foot for a few seconds. "Aha!" She snapped her fingers. Quick as a flash, she was at a wooden cupboard and she flung the doors open, throwing out most of its contents. Toshiro had to duck left and right in order to avoid the flying debris.

"Hey, don't forget I'm here, you-" Before Toshiro could finish his sentence, a hole puncher hit him squarely on the head.

"Here it is!" Ren yelled, holding up a digital camera. "The next time one of those monsters shows up, we can use this camera to snap some photos. How does that sound?" No answer. "Hello?" Ren turned around, only to find Toshiro sprawled on the ground, a bump on his head and various clutter surrounding him. "Ah…sorry 'bout that."

"You damn moron!" Toshiro yelled, sitting upright.

"So do we have a plan?" Ren asked, ignoring Toshiro's insult.

"Yeah, yeah, that sounds great. That aside, don't just recklessly throw junk into the air." Toshiro stood up, massaging the bump on his head. "You could hurt someone, mainly me."

"Hey, don't call it junk."

"Ren, dinner's ready. Could you take dinner out the oven?"

"Sure, mom." Ren yelled, already making her way to the door.

"Don't ignore me!" Toshiro yelled.

"I made enough for all three of us, so there's enough for everybody."

"That's a relief, I-" Ren stopped when she exited her study, stunned. "Wait a sec, what did you just say?"

"What is it?" Toshiro asked, looking over Ren's shoulder.

"I said there's enough for all three of us. Also…" Ren's mother emerged from the kitchen, smiling. "After dinner, could you take out the trash, Toshiro?"

"!" Ren and Toshiro did a double take in shock. How did Ren's mother know about Toshiro?

"I'm sorry, but you seem to be misunderstanding something, mom." Ren started, confused.

"What's to misunderstand? Toshiro's adopted father passed away, so he is living with us now. Did you forget that? Ha-ha, you must have been working hard at school to forget that."

"…" Ren and Toshiro looked at each other, still confused.

"Y…Yeah. Silly me, heh heh." Ren gave a small, fake laugh.

"Now, please take the dinner out the oven, unless you like eating burnt food."

"Ah! No I don't!" Ren exclaimed. She turned to look at Toshiro again. "Well… We'd better do as the lady says…" She said with some hesitancy.

"Yeah… Sure…" Toshiro said slowly. As they both made their way into the kitchen, one thing went through both of the minds...

_How did she know?_

…

"Uuuu…" Ren groaned, staring at the shop window displaying shop mannequins wearing clothing. Toshiro, with a bored expression on his face, was sitting on a bench behind her. They were in the city on a Saturday afternoon, and the streets were not extremely busy with shoppers, so it was moderately quiet. Today, Ren was dressed in dark blue jeans, brown and pink trainers with elastic laces and a grey zip-up hoodie with a large, green handbag over her head, allowing it to rest at her right hip.

"Shouldn't we be going somewhere?" Toshiro asked impatiently. No response. "Hey, I'm talking to-"

"I can't concentrate with all these things in my head!" Ren suddenly yelled out loud, throwing her arms up into the air.

"Wah!" Toshiro reeled back, stunned by Ren's unexpected outburst.

"Damn…" Ren slummed next to Toshiro, completely drained. "I am SO confused right now. How the heck did mom know you were living here? In fact, it was like she knew it for ages. But, you've only been here for two or three days now. Argh, it's making my head hurt!" Ren clawed at her head, scratching it furiously with both hands.

"Easy, easy." Toshiro said calmly.

"And in answer to your question, we've got several minutes to go until the youth theatre starts. I explained it to you, Shiro."

"Yes, but even if it's something this tedious, I like to arrive on time." Toshiro ran through what Ren just said. "Wait a minute, what's with calling me "Shiro"?" Toshiro asked.

"I have trouble remembering people names and faces, so sometimes I come up with nicknames so I can remember them better. It's complicated, though.

"Again with the "It's complicated."" Toshiro muttered. "That aside, nobody can forget people's names and faces. Well, except Kurosaki."

"Kurosa- Oh, that guy. Anyway, I come up with nicknames based on personality and appearance. And yours, Shiro, is ideal because it's just like you!"

"Of course it is, because it's the last part of my name." Toshiro grumbled, disinterested.

"No, no, no, that's not what I mean. I mean, your name looks like you."

"Um…what?" Toshiro said, confused.

"It's simple. Your hair." Ren plucked up the bang of white hair that hung in front of Toshiro's eyes.

"What's that got to do with anything?" Toshiro asked harshly, turning his head so that Ren let go of his hair.

"Your name's Japanese." Ren continued, unfazed by his cold attitude. "The Shiro part means "white", and that's what your hair is!" Ren beamed after she had finished explaining.

"That's how you came up with the nickname?" Toshiro asked, slightly surprised.

"Nn." Ren nodded. She smiled happily. "It's the same as your hair. That way, I'll never forget your name." Toshiro felt a small blush creep onto his face.

"Ah. You're blushing." Ren said, wearing her usual blank look.

"Wha-" Toshiro gasped. "D-Don't think this is anything special! It's not like I…I…Whatever!" Toshiro stood up quickly, and briskly walked off to his left, trying to control the blush on his face.

"Ah! Hey, wait up!" Ren stood up and, adjusting the handbag across her body, ran after him.

_Dammit, get a hold of yourself!_ Toshiro thought to himself. _She's a human! And she's annoying to boot, not to mention naïve. Stop feeling embarrassed around her._

"Gotcha!" Ren grabbed his arm as soon as she caught up with him. "The theatre's that way." Ren pointed off to the left. "Now, remember, you can leave whenever you want."

"Yeah." Toshiro muttered, avoiding eye contact with Ren, even though the blush was gone.

"If you were so reluctant to come with me to theatre, then why did you come at all?" Ren asked suspiciously, hands on her hips.

"None of your business."

"Aw, that's cold, Shiro."

"I don't need another Ukitake, thank you very much!" Toshiro exclaimed.

"Wait, so…I'm like Kurosaki…and also Ukitake?" Ren repeated. "Hmmm…" Ren held her chin in deep thought, while Toshiro was gradually getting a bad feeling about Ren's train of thought. "Aha!" Ren slammed a fist onto her palm, a serious expression on her face.

"What is it?" Toshiro asked.

"Kurotake!" Ren proclaimed.

"That is completely and utterly stupid." Toshiro said bluntly.

"Then…Ukisaki?"

"Don't just swap them around."

"Hey, I actually thought it was kinda good. Hey, wait a minute, you made me change the subject! Where was I…oh, yeah! If you didn't want to come, then why did you come?" Ren asked, pointing an accusing finger at Toshiro.

"…" Toshiro said nothing in response. In truth, he came so he could watch Ren closely. Clearly, she had some kind of ability that allowed her to combat these monsters, and she could somehow make it seem as though he was always a part of her family. Why, he wasn't sure. In order to discover this, he has to stay close to Ren at all times, but she shouldn't know this; she would get too suspicious and avoid him.

"So…?" Ren asked, pressing Toshiro for an answer.

"It's in case one of those things shows up again." Toshiro lied, although that was also part of the truth.

"Well, whatever. Anyway, let's get-"

"!" Suddenly, both of their eyes widened. They both sensed something sinister and evil appear in the city. Ren instantly recognised this as the same feeling she had yesterday. And she knew where it was coming from, as did Toshiro.

"Over there!" They said at the same time, turning towards a bridge just in front of them. "Huh?" Toshiro and Ren looked at each other.

"Since when could you sense monsters, Shiro?" Ren asked.

"I don't know, I just got a bad feeling and…" Toshiro trailed off, unable to finish his sentence. Did he really just sense a monster appearing?

"WATCH OUT!" Ren jumped towards Toshiro, grabbing his waist and forcing him off his feet, just as a clawed hand dented the ground they previously stood on just moments ago.

"Ow!" Ren and Toshiro landed heavily on the ground, with Ren still clinging on to Toshiro's waist. "You alright, Shiro?"

"I'm fine. Now get off me. Your chest is in my face."

"Huh? Ah!" Ren quickly backed off onto her knees, allowing Toshiro to sit up. "Pervert." Ren said, staring at Toshiro with accusing eyes.

"You're the one who grabbed me!" Toshiro yelled.

"I just guessed that was the right reaction." Ren shrugged.

"Wrong reaction. Very wrong. You should know this sort of thing."

"It's complicated."

"Stop saying that!"

"Hey, look at that." Ren changed the subject quickly, staring behind her. "Guess we did sense a monster."

"What?" Toshiro looked in the direction Ren was staring at. It was yet another monster, although this time, the body was light green, the mask had a pointed beak for a nose and the front legs had white claws with a narrow slit in the edge.

"This one's a little different than the other one." Ren clapped her hands together, smiling happily. "Oh, boy! My theory was right!" In that instant, Ren took out her digital camera and took a photograph of the snarling monster. "Oh, that's a good snarl." Ren said, taking another photograph while remaining unfazed by the fierce monster.

"You're staring death in the face, and you're snapping photographs?" Toshiro exclaimed.

"Hey, it's good research." Ren shrugged. "Right, then." Ren stood up and wandered towards the monster standing several metres away from them. "She unzipped her hoodie as she walked. "Look after this for me, will ya?" Ren threw her hoodie behind her, where it landed directly in front of Toshiro.

"Where do you think you're going?" Toshiro yelled after her.

"Do you want information or not?" Ren asked, stopping in front of the monster and rolling up the sleeves of her black and white striped long sleeve top. "Hey, ugly! Over here!" Ren yelled at the monster, who looked down at her.

"Bleugh!" Ren stuck her tongue out at the monster, and pulled down her eyelids. "I dare you to attack me! Come on! There's fresh meat right here!"

"Don't provoke it, you fool!"

"Rawr!" The monster raised a clawed hand in the air, ready to strike.

"Neato." Ren took a photograph of the attack. "Whoa!" Ren jumped out of the way just in time for the claw to slam the ground she stood on previously. She rolled back onto her feet unscathed and took another photograph as dust rose up from the hole that was created. "Woo! That guy's strong! Or girl. Whatever."

"Alright, you've taken your photographs. Now let's get rid of this-"

"Not yet!" Ren interrupted. "I wanna see what those slits in its arms are." Ren's eyes lit up with curiosity. "Could they be flame throwers? Or something that shoots torpedoes?" The monster gave a shrill cry, and out of the slits on its front legs emerged large, bat-like light green wings. "They're wings! SUGE!" Ren yelled, snapping another photograph while her eyes sparkled.

"Stop speaking Japanese and get away from it!" Toshiro yelled, trying to talk some sense into Ren, to no success.

"Oi, can you fly into the air with those things?" Ren yelled at the monster. "It would be awesome if you could!"

"It's not going to understand you!" The monster flapped its front legs once, and it immediately rose several feet into the air, flapping its wings. "It…understood you." Toshiro muttered, sweat dropping. The monster opened its mouth. "Now what?" Toshiro grumbled. A red sphere began to generate in front of its mouth.

_A Cero?_ Toshiro thought, eyes wide. _No. It's not a Cero. But, it's so similar to one. And if this blast and a Cero are anything similar, then…_

"Hey, get out the way, now!" Toshiro yelled towards Ren.

"Wow, this monster keeps getting cooler and cooler." Ren took another photo. "Okay, you can fire it now!"

"You idiot!"

The monster fired the blast straight towards Ren, who quickly took another photograph and jumped out of the way again. Toshiro noted how it was so similar to the Cero most Hollows could fire, but this one was different. More destructive. Even if it only managed to destroy three shops behind Ren, Toshiro could immediately tell that being hit by one of them would be fatal. Toshiro watched as Ren took a photograph of the destroyed buildings.

"Wow, I got an awesome photo!" Ren turned around to face Toshiro. "Hey, I'm nearly done! Is there anything else you want a photo of, Shiro!"

"Don't look at me! The enemy's right there! Over there!" Toshiro frantically pointed at the sky the beast was hovering in.

"Oh. Right." Ren turned back to the monster. "Hey! Dive down on me! Then we can fight, okay?" Ren yelled up at the monster. Toshiro proceeded to slap his forehead at Ren's idiocy. But, the monster obeyed, folded its front legs by its sides, and dove at an incredibly fast speed towards Ren. "Cool." Ren took another photograph, jumping out of the way once again to avoid the attack, leaving the monster to ram face first into the ground, creating yet another crater.

"One more." Ren took a photo of the monster in the ground. "Eh?" Ren looked up as the monster as it flew up into the air once again, preparing for another attack. "Okay! I'm done!" Ren yelled at Toshiro.

"Good! Now get out of there!"

"Hai!" Ren gave Toshiro a thumbs up, which made Toshiro somewhat relieved. "Right after this." Ren looked back at the monster, preparing for any sort of attack.

"I meant run!" Ren ignored Toshiro yelling at her, and watched as the monster proceeded to fold its arms by its side.

"Wait, don't dive!" Ren made her palms face the monster in a way of saying stop. She ran to the wreckage of the shops, and shuffled through the contents of the rubble, even throwing a few bricks over her shoulder. "Aha." She beamed when she pulled out a metal pole. She ran back to where she previously stood, pole in her hands. "Okay, now dive!"

"Moron! Do you have a death wish?" Toshiro yelled. With a great roar, the monster dove down towards Ren, who remained focused on the monster. All Toshiro could do was watch.

"Here!" Ren jammed one end of the pole into the ground, and backed a way, causing the monster to be impaled through the mouth. It landed on all four of its legs, screaming in pain. Then, like before, the monster glowed faintly white, then white all over, until it burst into ashes that drifted away into the wind.

"Well…" Ren walked towards Toshiro, dusting off her hands. "That takes care of that." Ren grinned at a dumbfounded Toshiro. "So, how was that? I got plenty of photos. I'd say that for the time being, it is mission accomplished."

"That was reckless and stupid, in all honesty. You could have been killed."

"Yeah. I could have, but I didn't."

"That's beside the point. You need to stop putting yourself in dangerous situations." Toshiro said firmly.

"But I got the photographs that we needed." Ren pointed out.

"I give up." Toshiro sighed, hanging his head.

"Can I have my hoodie back now?" Ren asked, outstretching her arm.

"Here." Toshiro said, automatically handing Ren her hoodie into her outstretched arm, but he stopped himself. "You're hurt!"

"Eh?" Ren blinked. "Where?"

"Your arm. It's bleeding!"

"Huh?" Ren looked at her right arm. There was a large blood patch on the forearm, and it looked a lot like a graze. "Oh, yeah. I wonder when that happened?"

"You mean to tell me you didn't even notice you were hurt?"

"Nope!" Ren grinned at Toshiro.

"This isn't a laughing matter! We need to make sure that it isn't infected!"

"Oh." Ren slipped a hand into her pocket, and out of it came a white handkerchief, which for some reason surprised Toshiro. It seemed like even Ren had a girly side. But, this thought came crashing down to earth again when he saw Ren spit on it.

"What the…You can't just use saliva!"

"Sure I can." Ren said simply, rubbing the blood with the wet handkerchief. "Saliva dissolves quite a lot of bacteria and dirt. True fact. Hmmm…"

"What now?" Toshiro asked, impatient.

"Well, maybe it's my imagination, but…this graze really doesn't hurt. Is that bad?"

"I don't think so."

"I'm taking a look." Ren removed the handkerchief and looked at her arm again. "Eh?" Ren blinked in confusion. Where there was supposed to be a cut, there was none. Just bare skin. "No way." She rubbed another part of her arm with the handkerchief and removed it. The same results came up. No sign of a wound anywhere. "This is odd." Ren reached into her handbag and got out a water bottle. She opened the cap and poured the contents over her arm. All of the blood washed away, and it revealed pure clear skin. "It's gone!"

"Gone?" Toshiro gasped. "What do you mean gone?" Toshiro grabbed Ren's arm, jerking it towards him to get a closer look.

_Impossible…_Toshiro thought. _Somehow, she regenerated her wound without even being aware of it. How is this possible?_ Toshiro glanced up at the confused Ren. _Just what exactly is she?_

"Can I have my hoodie back now?" Ren asked again.

"Oh. Here." Toshiro finally gave Ren her hoodie back, who took it and placed it back on her again, forcing Toshiro's grip on her arm off.

_She has more abilities than I anticipated._ Toshiro thought. _Could she be linked to these monsters? And why can I sense and see them as well? Is it because of her?_ Toshiro narrowed his eyes at Ren suspiciously. _I must be wary._

"Now that the monster is gone, let's head over to the youth theatre, Shiro." Ren smiled happily at Toshiro.

"Yeah." Toshiro said, following Ren as they walked down a path to their left. In that moment, Toshiro found himself realising that he didn't loathe it when Ren called him Shiro anymore. Why was that? Toshiro quickly shrugged the thought off. He had more important things to worry about, like the monsters.

"Oh, by the way, Shiro. I hope you don't mind dancing. We're doing a new routine today." Ren looked over her shoulder at Toshiro while she walked. "You can handle it, right?"

Toshiro shuddered. That was another thing he had to worry about.

…

"Urgh…" Toshiro groaned, collapsed outside of the doors to a building. This building in question had front walls made entirely of windows, and stretched to ground floor and first floor. A dance studio, complete with floor to ceiling mirrors on one side, was visible downstairs, with a reception area on the right side of the ground floor. In this studio, there were various other people of Ren's age mingling around there. Ren and Toshiro, on the other side, were outside on the path, with an exhausted Toshiro lying flat on his back. But, Ren was fine, and was staring down at Toshiro, an innocent look on her face.

"Oi, you still alive?" Ren asked, nudging Toshiro with her foot. Toshiro responded by giving another moan. "Ah. I guess the dancing was a little too…strenuous, yeah that's the word, for you."

"You got that right." Toshiro muttered. "What I want to know is why you're not tired."

"I guess it's because I'm used to it." Ren tapped her chin with her finger. "Or is it because I'm naturally hyper?"

"That's far from important." Toshiro sighed. "Um,…say, could you help me up?" Toshiro asked, cringing a little from embarrassment.

"Ha-ha-ha!" Ren laughed. "Sure thing!" Ren outstretched a hand towards Toshiro, which he gratefully took.

_Her hand…_Toshiro thought. _It feels so soft. And it's feels small, somehow. Dammit, why am I thinking like this?_ Toshiro sat himself up while Ren pulled him back onto his feet. But, even though they were stood up, Toshiro did not let go of her hand_. I must be really tired if I'm thinking like this._

"Um…Shiro?" Ren said.

"Sorry!" Toshiro gasped, letting go of Ren's hand. "I was…lost in thought."

"Welcome to my world, Shiro."

Meanwhile, while Ren and Toshiro talked a shadow was watching them. It was hiding in the trees near to the river which was directly next to the theatre Toshiro and Ren had just left. This shadow was clearly a man, yet his face could not be seen, though he was clearly wearing some form of cloak. The man held the collar of his hood closely to his face.

"I found them. A girl with blonde hair and blue eyes. The boy? Yeah, he's with her. At least, I believe it is them. I cannot get any closer, so I can't see their faces. The boy looks like he isn't going to let that woman out of his sight. Should I attack now?" A pause. "No? I understand. I shall pursue them until I receive further orders. Over and out." The man released his grip on his collar and looked over at Toshiro and Ren. "So it's those two, huh?" There was a slight breeze through the air, blowing the man's cloak through the breeze.

"Hn?" Ren looked towards the trees, confused.

"What is it?" Toshiro asked. Ren said nothing, still staring at the trees. The shadow was gone. "Well?"

"I thought I…nah, it's nothing. Forget it."

_That's weird…_Ren thought. _I could have sworn someone was there._

**There you have it! Toshiro and Ren have a stalker now! Who is that man? And what about the monsters? Just exactly are they? Subscribe, review, and stay tuned to find out!**


	5. Feathers

**Welcome back to Fate and Destiny! So far, Toshiro and Ren have encountered two of the monsters, and Ren made swift work of them. But, they are being followed by a mysterious man. Who is he? Let's find out, shall we?**

Chapter 3

Feathers

Ren stared blankly at her computer screen, scanning through the photographs on there with regular clicks of her mouse. All of them contained monsters of different shapes, colours and abilities, yet she couldn't help but notice the characteristics they had in common. For example, their masks and their blood thirsty personalities.

"If they had any…" Ren muttered to herself. "It's been almost a week now, but it's all the same. They're all the same level. Maybe these are lower levels? I haven't come across any who are weaker, and they can all fire that weird blast." Ren leaned back against her desk chair. "Uuuu, this is making my head hurt. If I put this much effort into my school work, I'd be a genius by now." Ren leaned forward once again, resting her head on her hand while staring at all her photos again. "I'm bored." Ren glanced over at Toshiro. He was asleep on her sofa, his hands locked behind his head and a frown on his face.

_He does look kinda cute asleep._ Ren thought, smiling. _What am I thinking?_ Ren shook her head quickly. _Gotta go over the photos one more time._ Her eyes widened as soon as she looked at one. _Wait a sec…_ Ren grabbed her mouse and scrolled through them with quick clicks. _This is…_

"Oi, Shiro. Wake up. I've discovered something I think you need to know." Ren said loudly, looking over to the asleep Toshiro. "Hey, didn't you hear me? I said-"

"RANGIKU!" Toshiro yelled, sitting upright without any warning.

"Wah!" Ren recoiled in surprise. Unfortunately, she lost her balance on her chair and it collapsed backwards, making her tumble onto the floor.

"Huh? What was I dreaming about?" Toshiro looked over to Ren, who was still collapsed on the floor. "Oh. Sorry."

"Ow…" Ren winced, sitting up with a hand on her head.

"Are you okay?" Toshiro asked, standing up and offering Ren a hand up.

"Yeah. Not the first time I hit my head." Ren answered, taking Toshiro's hand and standing up. "Apologies aside, I've found something in the photos that you really need to see."

"What? What is it?" Toshiro asked, immediately attentive.

"Well…" Ren started, picking her chair up again and sitting down upon it. "In the photos of that monster with wings we saw, there wasn't anything suspicious at first. But, after that one, there is something rather unusual there."

"What are you saying?"

"Look here." Ren pointed at the computer monitor. Toshiro followed her finger, and his eyes widened. Behind the monster that was poised to attack was a street lamp, and behind that was a silhouette of a man.

"Who is that?" Toshiro asked, shocked.

"Look at the rest." Ren clicked her mouse button several times to more photographs. "The spider type. The bird type. The gorilla type. Even the snake one we saw yesterday. All of them after that first one we saw at school have the same guy. Except the one with wings." Ren stopped when the final photograph showed the last moments of a monster that looked like a giant lion. "See?" Ren pointed at a thick tree, where the same silhouette was. Ren looked over her shoulder straight at Toshiro. "Someone is following us."

"But who?" Toshiro wondered.

"Beats me." Ren shrugged.

"Whoever he is, we need to keep our guard up." Toshiro said, making eye contact with Ren, who after a moment's hesitation, looked away.

_What the…_ Toshiro thought.

"If another monster shows up, then that guy will definitely be there. We'll wait until then. Agreed?" Ren asked.

"Uh…Yeah." Toshiro nodded, who was still thinking about the way Ren avoided eye contact with him.

"Oh, about that. I get nervous when I look into someone's eyes so I look away. It's complicated, though."

"Oh, okay." Toshiro said dismissively. "Hold on, what?"

"What?" Ren asked, confused.

"How did you know…How did you know what I was thinking?" Toshiro asked.

"I did?" Ren asked, cocking her head to the side.

"Yes. You just answered what I was thinking about."

"Really?"

"You don't remember?" Ren shook her head.

_It's just like what happened in the office._ Toshiro thought. _Some kind of power comes through unexpectedly, and she forgets that she used it almost immediately after it happened._

"Say, Shiro."

"Hn?"

"Do you ever…have any weird dreams?" Ren asked, glancing away.

"Weird?" Ren nodded. "Weird how?"

"Like…something you wouldn't normally expect in your dreams."

"Um…I dunno. Why are you asking me? Dreams are a girl thing. Ask your mother. Besides, it's probably just nothing."

"Yeah, I guess." Ren said, giving an unsure smile. "But…I just can't shake off this weird feeling." Ren gripped her arms. "See…I dreamt I was in the sky. I wasn't falling or nothing; I was…flying. I saw my own pair of wings in the dream. They were…beautiful. And in this dream, I remember feeling happy to be in the sky, flying free…and…I was seeing someone soon. Someone very dear to me…" Ren looked away, still clutching her arms. "I wonder who that was?" Ren thought out loud.

"…" Toshiro looked down at the ground, contemplating what Ren said. It certainly didn't sound like a regular dream. But Ren couldn't afford to have any doubts at this point. "I…I'm sure it's nothing."

"Yeah, you're right!" Ren exclaimed, grinning while placing a hand behind her head.

_She sure shrugged that off quickly._ Toshiro thought, sweat dropping.

"I'll ask Steph about it tomorrow at school. Remember, Shiro…" Ren placed her hands on her hips. "I want you to be friendly with everyone. You won't make friends like that."

"I don't want to make friends at your school. You're the only ally I need."

"Not allies. Friends. Friends! Very different!"

"Whatever!" Toshiro scoffed, walking past Ren to exit her study. He had a lot to think about tonight.

…

"And then I woke up." Ren finished. "Weird, huh?"

"Yeah, that is strange…" Steph agreed, already thinking about it. Toshiro, meanwhile, was sitting nearby in the common room, which was full of people in Ren and Steph's year. The television was on a music channel, and on full volume. But, the noise of the chatter almost completely drowned it out. Toshiro, Ren and Steph were in the kitchen area, with Ren and Steph sitting around a small table, and Toshiro wasn't too far away. Toshiro himself was eavesdropping on their conversation while pretending to read a book on theatre.

_Let's see what she has to say…_Toshiro thought, staring at Steph over the book while trying to loosen his necktie.

"Sounds like one of those dreams you'd have in an anime." Steph said cheerfully.

"Yeah!" Ren agreed happily.

_Dammit, can't you be serious for one damn minute?_ Toshiro thought angrily, glaring at Ren.

"Wasn't there an anime like that?" Ren said thoughtfully.

"Kinda like a character that has dreams that are similar to another character's memories."

"Of course, that can't happen!" Ren dismissed the idea, waving her hand airily "But, the dream I had last night could make that true."

_Last night?_ Toshiro thought. Abandoning his disguise, he slammed the book shut and listened fully to the conversation.

"Last night, I dreamt I was in this city. Everyone was smiling and laughing And that made me happy, too."

"Sounds like this isn't much to worry about if these are good dreams." Steph said.

"And Shiro was there."

"!" Both Toshiro and Steph couldn't hide their shock.

"Toshiro was in it?" Steph exclaimed, leaning closer to Ren.

"Well, not exactly. I mean, this guy looked a lot like him, but I could only see his back. Besides, right after I saw this guy, my alarm went off."

"So, it could have been a coincidence."

"Yeah, it could be."

"No." Toshiro said suddenly, standing up.

"Shiro?" Ren looked over her shoulder at Toshiro.

"We can't dismiss this as coincidence. Keep note of every dream you have from now on. It might be important."

"Um…okay." Steph said, confused. "I don't see how it's important, but…"

"Ahahaha!" Ren laughed nervously. "Shiro thinks I keep track of my dreams! Ahaha! He must be the type of guy who thinks that girls pay attention to dreams! You joker you!" Ren laughed, hooking an arm around his shoulder.

"Keep your gob zipped about you-know-what!" Ren whispered into his ear fiercely.

"I had no intention of telling. Besides, I thought you would be the type of person who would tell her about it."

"What's that meant to mean, huh?" Ren exclaimed.

"Is something wrong?" Steph asked.

"Oh, nothing, nothing, nothing." Ren reassured, shaking her head with a nervous smile.

"!" Toshiro glanced out a window in the common room.

"Shiro? Ah!" Ren gasped when Toshiro grabbed her arm and ran outside with her in tow. "Hey, what gives?" Toshiro let go of her arm and stopped running as soon as they were out of the school grounds, and were facing a road in front of the school.

"Do you feel that?" Toshiro asked.

"Fell what?" Ren asked.

"The feeling that…we're being watched." Toshiro narrowed his eyes. "That guy is here."

"…" Ren was silent, as was Toshiro.

"Let's go somewhere quiet." Ren whispered. "We don't want to confront him here." Ren discreetly pointed down the road. "There's a park over there. Follow me." Ren walked to her left, with Toshiro following her.

_He's here._ Toshiro thought. _He's definitely following us. It's sooner than I thought. But why now?_

"This way." Ren walked through a black gate and onto a footpath through a group of trees.

If he reveals himself, we have a lot of questions to ask him.

"This will do." Ren stopped when they were in a circle surrounded by trees.

"Now what do we do?" Toshiro asked.

"Shhh." Ren hissed. "Listen." Silence. There was not a sound to be heard. In fact, it was so quiet, Toshiro could hear his own heart beating. But, in a brief second, there was the sound of leaves rustling which made Toshiro jolt.

"He's followed us." Toshiro said quietly. "We need to handle this delicately. One false move and-"

"Hello! Who goes there? You've been following us, haven't you?" Ren asked happily.

"You idiot!" Toshiro yelled. There was another rustle of leaves. Sure enough, a dark black boot stepped out of the trees and hedges, followed by the whole body. A man stood before Toshiro and Ren, wearing a brown tattered cloak with the hood hiding his face with shadows.

"How did you know I was following you?" The man asked.

"We saw you in the photos we took of your monster." Ren answered. "Are you their ring leader?"

"One of many. But, I am merely a foot soldier. Nonetheless, I know you would be no match for me."

"Well, Shiro might not be a match. I mean, he's pretty powerless right now." Ren said bluntly.

"Don't broadcast it!" Toshiro snapped.

_That girl… _The man thought. _She is definitely the one who is destroying the monsters I send. And that boy is an accomplice of hers. He seems to be no threat. And yet…there is something about them I don't like. They seem familiar, somehow._

"So you are sending monsters?" Ren asked. The man nodded, confirming her question. "Why? Why are you sending them? Who are you? More importantly, why can I sense them?"

_She can sense them?_ The man thought, stepping back in shock. _That's impossible! It explains why she can see them, but to actually fight and destroy them! That is something impossible for a human._

"You…can sense them?"

"Yeah." Ren nodded. "Shiro can, too. Though he wasn't able to before."

"Again, you're giving him too much information." Toshiro sighed.

"So's he." Ren pointed out.

"In answer to your other question, my name is Sentaro. The monsters we send have a name. They are called Feathers."

"Feathers?" Ren repeated.

"Yes. Their name will become clear in good time, but they are tools in our organisation to cleanse this world and rebuild it anew."

"So they're, like, demolition balls?" Ren asked. "'Cos if you're trying to rebuild this place like you say you are, then you need to stop destroying stuff with 'em."

"You would not understand. You are a mere human who is in the way of our mission."

"But you're invading my home!" Ren shouted. "I won't allow you to continue with what you're doing!"

"What right do you have to tell us what to do?" Sentaro demanded.

"I can because I can kill these Feathers or whatever they are."

"There is another reason why we summon the Feathers here."

"Eh?" Ren blinked.

"We are looking for something. Or rather…someone."

"Someone?" Toshiro repeated. "Who?"

_I knew it._ Ren thought. _I knew those monsters were looking for something._

"Someone who is believed to be dead. Someone with unbelievable power. Someone who, if they are alive, will get in the way of out plans."

"Sooo… the police?" Ren suggested. She folded her arms in thought. "Nah, one of the Feathers appeared near the police station ages ago. So, maybe, the mayor? Or the prime minister. If it's that one, then you're in the wrong place."

"You wouldn't understand."

"Yeah, you're right. I wouldn't." Ren admitted. "But, this planet is my home, so I want to understand why you want to do this."

"That is something you shall never know." Sentaro raised an arm in front of him. "Now that you know this, I shall have to kill you."

"Then why tell us in the first place?" Ren asked.

"Because you shall be dead before you can do anything with that information." Sentaro's hand glowed with an orange aura.

"Grrr." Toshiro reached for the sword that would be strapped to his back, but his hand grasped nothing. "Damn."

"Hee." Ren grinned.

"Don't look at me like that!" Toshiro yelled. "We're being attacked here!"

"Um…what do you say to running?" Ren asked.

"Run?"

"Yup. I don't think I can fight this guy." Ren said sheepishly.

"Die!" Sentaro yelled, charging towards them.

"Fine! Let's go!" However, before Toshiro could make a move, Sentaro skidded in front of him, preventing him from moving.

"You're not going anywhere. I have a feeling you and your friend will cause a lot of trouble in the future." Sentaro raised his right fist, ready to strike.

_I can't move…_ Toshiro thought, staring up at the fist with wide eyes. _I can't do anything to fight back._ Toshiro felt his arm shake, and firmly grasped it to stop the trembling. _Dammit, get a hold of yourself._

"Feel that? That's fear." The aura around the fist grew more intense, and before Toshiro could react, the fist came in contact with his chest, knocking the wind out of him. Toshiro was whisked off his feet and landed heavily on the ground, skidding across it before halting to a stop. Toshiro flinched on the ground, a hand over the red marking on his shirt as his tie burnt into ashes.

"Shiro!" Ren cried, running to Toshiro's side. "Are you hurt?" Ren touched Toshiro's shoulder as he coughed and struggled to breathe.

_Damn…What a punch. Almost as strong as Zaraki's. _With what little strength he had left, he opened one eye and glared at Sentaro, who was towering over the two of them. _This guy is meant to be a foot soldier?_

"That was too easy." Once again, Sentaro aimed a punch, this time at Ren. "Now it's your turn."

"Get away from here." Toshiro choked, struggling to sit up, but his body refused to support his weight, and his arms gave out underneath him.

"No! I'm not leaving you behind!" Ren insisted.

"Just go. I'm not…I'm not important."

"Don't say that!" Ren shouted. "You're important to me! Because you're…"

"?" Toshiro looked at Ren with both of his eyes weakly.

"Because you're my friend!" Ren yelled.

"Vanish from this world!" Sentaro's punch went towards Ren, who was unaware of this.

"Get down!" Toshiro yelled, with what little air he had.

_Wham!_

"Huh?" Sentaro said in confusion. His punch had made contact with Ren, but she was still by Toshiro's side and hadn't moved an inch. Instead, his large, muscular hand was held in her hand. Ren, on the other hand, had her hair hiding her eyes. "What is this?" Sentaro tried to remove his hand, but Ren had a firm grip on it. "Let go of me!"

"So…" Ren started, standing up while still keeping her hold on Sentaro. "You have come back. It's certainly been a while."

"Who…Who are you?" Sentaro demanded. Ren looked up at Sentaro, and he flinched. There was a different look in her eyes, and there were now four white vertical dots on her forehead.

"Your worst nightmare." She said, smirking. With one arm, she raised Sentaro up in the air and threw him onto the ground, denting it with a huge crater.

_What on…_Toshiro thought, managing to sit up on his arms. _What is this?_ He looked over to Ren, who was staring down at Sentaro while he stood up. _Who is that girl?_

"Why are you here?" Ren demanded calmly. "Are you here to perform your "cleansing"?"

"Why should I answer to a dead girl?" Sentaro yelled, aiming another glowing orange punch at Ren, who effortlessly caught it. With her other hand, she pushed Sentaro away from her with such force, the fabric around that area blew away, leaving a dark red handprint on his bare skin as Sentaro skidded on the ground.

"This match is over. I shall spare your life. Murder is wrong." Sentaro sat up weakly, glaring at Ren. "When you get back to your leader…" Ren raised a hand up to shoulder height. A light blue bird made from energy materialised on top of her palm. "Give them this message for me." She gently blew on the bird. It spread its wings and flew through the air towards Sentaro. When it landed on his forehead, the bird glowed and entered his head.

"!" Sentaro let out a gasp after several seconds. He scrambled across the ground and away from Ren, who placed a hand on her hip. "You…You're…"

"Heh." Ren smirked.

"I will be back!" Sentaro yelled, and after glowing orange, disappeared from sight.

"Bye!" Ren said cheerfully, waving goodbye.

"Hey. You."

"Eh?" Toshiro staggered onto his feet, with one hand still over the area where Sentaro punched him.

"Who…Who are you?" Toshiro asked. "And how did you defeat that guy?"

"It's a long story." She answered without turning around. "But all I can tell you is that, right now, I am not the girl you hang around with. I am someone else.

"Then give her back." Toshiro demanded. "Urgh." Toshiro flinched, clutching his injury.

"Don't push yourself." The girl said. "That wound is quite serious for a human like you."

"This would be nothing if I had powers." Toshiro muttered to himself, ashamed that someone had to protect him.

"Here." Ren threw a white energy ball behind her at Toshiro. The ball entered his body through the injury. Almost instantly, Toshiro felt no more pain in his body.

"My…My body…" Toshiro looked at his hands in disbelief.

"There. I healed you. It should stop hurting now."

"I see. Thank you." Toshiro folded his arms. "Now, give her back."

"Okay. But, this won't be the last time you shall see me." She closed her eyes. "As soon as you see the markings on my forehead, you will know it is me. Besides, I rather like this Earth."

"Huh?" Toshiro said, confused. "What do you mean, by that?" Toshiro asked, grabbing her shoulder.

"Eh?" She looked over at Toshiro. In that instant, the dots on her forehead vanished from sight. "Oh, Shiro!"

"!" Toshiro gasped from surprise.

"Where did that Sentaro guy go?" Ren asked, looking left and right. "Oh! But you're hurt!"

"Not anymore, I'm not."

"But your uniform is a mess now. Damn."

_She can't remember._ Toshiro thought. _Figured as much._

"It's fine." Toshiro sighed. "It's nearly the end of the day, anyway. It doesn't matter."

"It does to me, though!" Ren whined.

"Let's go." Toshiro began to walk away back to the school.

"Ah! Wait for me, Shiro!"

_For a few minutes, she was acting like someone else. No…She WAS someone else. But who? And what does this person know about these Feathers, and the organisation they are from? _Toshiro frowned in thought. _Just what the hell is going on here?_

…

Elsewhere, in a dark room, there was a large, dark purple sphere, illuminated by a spot light. Inside this sphere was a silhouette of a woman with long hair. Sentaro teleported underneath the spotlight, and got down on one knee before the sphere.

"I have returned."

"You were defeated." The person said. The voice sounded like that of a woman, yet it seemed inhuman.

"Yes, but the girl left behind a message." Sentaro materialised the blue bird. "See for yourself." Sentaro forced the bird to fly into the sphere, where it disappeared into tiny lights. After a while, the person inside gasped.

"Is this true?"

"I'm not sure yet. But, that does look like the kind of message her people would use, so I'm sure she is the real deal."

"Test them one more time. And this time…" Sentaro looked under his hood at the silhouette. He could have sworn he saw the mysterious woman smile. "Make sure to use that Feather."

**There you have it! Looks like Ren has the case of Multiple Personality Disorder! And there is a mastermind behind it all! So, what exactly is that Feather? Lemme tell ya, guys, it's gonna be a pretty cool one!**


	6. Contact Union

**Hi, Guys! How was your Halloween? Mine was AWESOME! Best Halloween ever! And I didn't need to knock on doors for candy! Well, some people did, but they were drunk as hell, lemme tell ya! Although, there was nothing spooky going on. Speaking of spooky, what's going on with Ren?**

Chapter 4

Contact Union

"The correct answer is innocence. That will be one of the questions in next week's text, so remember that." A young, female teacher with blonde hair was pacing in front of an interactive whiteboard. There were at least twelve year thirteen students in the room, including Toshiro and Ren. Toshiro was sat with his head resting on one hand, bored, with Ren on the row of tables in front of him, but several seats to the right away from him.

_There's no place to hide here._ Toshiro thought. _There isn't even a proper way to get to the roof like in Karakura. Now, I have to sit through this boring English lesson. Why did I have to end up with the same timetable as her?_ Toshiro glanced over at Ren, who was paying close attention to what the teacher was saying while tapping the keyboard of her small grey laptop. _It's been a few days since Sentaro attacked us, and she still doesn't remember what happened. Was it because of that other side of hers? Also…_

"_And Shiro was there."_

_Did I really appear in her dream? I don't know. There're so many things that need to be answered._

"Toshiro!"

"Um…yes!" Toshiro jolted upright in his seat at the sound of his name. The young teacher was staring at him, as were Ren and the other students.

"Well? What's your answer?" She asked sternly.

"My answer? It's…It's…" Toshiro's eyes darted left and right across the room, frantically thinking of an answer. His prayers were finally answered when the boy just in front of him held up three fingers. "Three." The teacher folded her arms with a smirk on her face.

"The way in which Handmaid's Tale presents feminism is three?" She repeated.

"Wha-" Toshiro glared at the boy, who was struggling to contain his laughter. "You're a dead man." Toshiro growled under his breath.

"Hey, you should've paid attention."

"In Japan, they sometimes throw chalk at you." Ren said in a cheerful tone.

"Brutal!"

"Well, that's what they do in anime. Other times, they'd whack them so hard a bump this big appears on their head."

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

"Alright, class is over. Enjoy your lunch." With that, the students quickly packed their bags and made their way out of the classroom, the teacher following them while mumbling something under her breath about needing a coffee. All that was left in the classroom was Toshiro and Ren, who was packing away her books.

"Aren't you going to follow them?" Toshiro asked.

"Nah." Ren said dismissively. "Damn, this thing takes too long to turn off."

"Why do you use that? Why not use a paper and pen like everyone else?"

"It's complicated." Ren said dismissively.

"You always say that. It's not a real answer. Why do you really use it?"

"I just do."

"That's not a real answer either." Toshiro said, a frustrated tone to his voice. He stood up and went over to Ren's desk. He slammed a hand in front of Ren on the table, startling her. "What are you hiding? Answer me, now!" Toshiro demanded.

"Nothing." Ren answered, not looking at Toshiro's face and packing the netbook into a small bag.

"You never give me a straight answer! The Feathers, the dreams, what happened in the headmaster's office and this "It's complicated." thing! You're not answering any of them! I'm even beginning to doubt if you really have forgotten! Stop lying to me!"

"Shiro…"

"What?" Toshiro yelled. Ren stood up, packing the netbook case in her bag.

"I'm telling the truth. I really have forgotten what happened."

_That tone of voice...It's just like…_ Toshiro thought, remembering back to the shop when Ren seemed to change.

"Also, when I say it's complicated…" Ren looked directly at Toshiro's face. His eyes widened slightly. Her smile was no longer there, and her eyes were narrow, and had lost the bright shine in them. "I mean that it's complicated. Besides, you shouldn't accuse others of lying. After all, only the liar knows that they're lying."

"…" Toshiro stared silently at the suddenly frightening Ren. Why did she get so angry at him? He just wanted answers. Suddenly, an ambulance siren rang out.

"YEEK!" Ren squealed, snapping out of her angry state. "Dammit. Why do those things have to be so loud?" Ren proceeded to walk out of the door and into the corridor. "I mean, I know it's an emergency, but come on! Some of us might not like loud noises!" Toshiro, however, was frozen on the spot, still slightly stunned by Ren's reaction. But, it nonetheless confirmed one of his suspicions. Ren was hiding something, and he wanted to know what.

"Hey, aren't you coming, Shiro?" Ren asked, trotting back to the door.

"Huh? Oh, right!" Toshiro gasped, quickly moving to Ren's side.

_I can't let him find out about that._ Ren thought. _I just can't. Not yet, anyway._

…

"So that's what happened, huh?" Steph said.

"Yeah. I thought you might know something about it, seeing as you're her close friend."

"Ah, sorry about that!" Ren gasped, running into the common room. She stood in front of Toshiro and Steph, dumping her bag next to Toshiro's feet. "I had to hand in an essay."

"Oh, it's no problem." Steph said happily.

_She knows…_ Toshiro thought.

"Hey, where's your flute?" Steph asked.

"My flute?" Ren repeated. "Ah, shimatta! I left it in the bag racks! Aw, it's all the way on the other side of school!" Ren quickly dashed out of the common room. "It's gonna take me forever to find it! And the bus is in ten minutes!" Steph and Toshiro stood in the almost empty common room in silence. After several seconds, Steph turned to face Toshiro, but not before she glanced left and right.

"Alright, I'll tell you, but only as much as I can."

"As much as you can? Did she put you on a gag order or something? She's not your boss."

"Well, yes she did. And, no, she isn't. She requested that I keep quiet, but seeing as you want to find out more about her, I'll "let slip" what I know."

"Fine." Toshiro nodded. Steph sat down on a blue chair behind her, Toshiro doing the same. "Spill it, then."

"Okay. It's like this. Ren…she has this…how should I put this? It's a very complicated subject."

"You sound just like her." Toshiro grumbled under his breath.

"It's like…Ren has some…difficulties that you and I don't have."

"Difficulties?"

"Yes. She's had problems with it in the past. If someone even hints about it in front of her, she'll usually say "It's complicated" and leave it at that."

"Yes, that's what she says to me. Also, what do you mean by problems?"

"All sorts. Misunderstandings. Isolation. Bullying."

"So? Lots of people get bullied, but they got over it."

"This is different." Steph looked at her hands. "Ren was treated like this her whole life."

"Her whole life?" Toshiro gasped. Steph nodded. She then proceeded to look at Toshiro directly in his eyes.

"Through primary school and most of her time at this school. Each time, it's someone different. She had about two in primary school. And a whole gang of them right here. Nothing violent or anything, though people do mistake the scars on her body as beating scars, but they're just big bites, burns and the other times she fell over." Steph gave a light chuckle. "She can be a right klutz sometimes. Anyway, it only really stopped just as she entered year twelve. The bullying, that is. Everything else? That's still happening now."

"Whoa…" Was all Toshiro managed to say. "So you're telling me she was…is treated like that all the time, all because of some problem she has?"

"It's not a problem!" Steph protested. "I know it isn't. And I know that's what Ren would say, too. She hates calling it a problem. It's dehumanising to her."

"But what is it? What is it that made her suffer like that?" Toshiro asked.

"I can't say. It's up to Ren when she'll tell you. Or maybe, she's already begun."

"Eh?"

"You see, when Ren dismisses something as "It's complicated", it's like a clue. She's giving you a puzzle to figure out. But, she prefers it if she tells you herself. Because it shows that she trusts you completely."

"She trusts me now."

"Yes, but not the same way she trusts me. Right after she told me about it, she said that she now trusts me with her life. She does trust you too, but not enough. She's afraid."

"Afraid of what?"

"Afraid that you'll treat her like everyone else treated her in the past. She was bullied most of her primary life. She found out why when she turned eleven, and explained herself to her class, thinking it would get better. Big mistake. So, when she came to secondary school, she decided to keep quiet about it, and she'd tell people in her own time. Even when she was bullied again, she didn't say a word about it. But, two weeks after her twelfth birthday, she was taken out of her form room for the morning, and she learnt that the head of her year was talking to her form about her difficulties. She even proceeded to tell the other forms in her year, too. Again, it got worse. Some of her friends understood and stayed with her, but the rest, including the bullies, either stayed away from her or made the bullying worse. She's had a grudge against that teacher since then. Her new start in life went downhill. We've had new pupils since then. Pupils who don't know about Ren. But, she still stays quiet. That's why she's not telling you yet. She's testing you."

"Testing me?"

"She wants to make sure you won't turn out like them. She's waiting to see if you won't treat her like an outcast."

"I see…"

"Also, try not to make her angry."

"Huh?" Steph looked at the ceiling.

"When someone mentions that subject around her, she gets angry. Scarily angry. Even in situations that are nothing to do with what she has. I saw it once when one of her friends was being picked on, and it scared me. She apologised about it to me, but I never forgot it."

"She seemed to have no idea what I was talking about when I brought it up."

"Yeah, sometimes she can't tell whether it was appropriate or not. The time I saw her angry, she knew that it wasn't appropriate when she calmed down. But, as soon as you see her like that, don't cross the line any further. As she says, it's complicated."

"I still can't believe she can get angry like that. Not only that, but even though she went through so much, she still has a smile on her face. I don't get it."

"That's Ren for ya." Steph said, smiling. "She's sees her life as half full rather than half empty. And anyone of her friends who thinks the opposite will realise that too."

"How do you mean?" Steph stood up and looked across the room at the door Ren had run out of minutes ago.

"Ren has this…ability."

_Ability?_ Toshiro thought, wide eyed. _Could she mean that other side?_

"It's not magical or anything like that…" Steph continued while Toshiro mentally slapped himself for thinking it was. "But, somehow, she finds a way to touch people deep inside without even realising it. Even the coldest and meanest characters in this school aren't immune to her ability. She has a huge amount of kindness inside of her. A kindness that you can't help but love about her. I guess what didn't kill her only made her stronger. Many people in her situation would have ended it when they barely even entered secondary school. If they get in, that is. I'd say Ren is one of the lucky ones in that department."

"What's your point?" Toshiro asked.

"My point is, Ren may look like she's dense and doesn't join in, but actually, she pays close attention to what's around her, especially her friends. That's because she values the friends she has more than anything. She was alone for most of her life, so now she is spending the rest of it with the people she knows and loves. It's part of her selfless personality. It's amazing really." Steph smiled warmly. "If she had some sweets to share, she'd share them with no questions asked, even if she did end up with only five sweets for herself. As long as her friends are happy, then she is happy. Several times before, she stepped in the middle of a fight to save a friend, and she didn't fight back. She only defended herself with what she knew about martial arts. Again, she said "As long as you're okay, then I'm happy." She'd even get gifts for friends when it's their birthday or they're unwell. Hell, it doesn't even have to be an occasion. If a friend needs something, she'll get it. If a friend needs help, she'll be there to provide it. And if a friend's life was threatened, without a doubt she would defend it, even if it would cost her own life. She's just that selfless."

"You call that selfless but I call that foolish." Toshiro said bluntly.

"Call it whatever you want. I say she's selfless. In short, Ren is a very complex person, but before you know it, you know her better than the back of your hand." Steph smiled happily at Toshiro. "So don't worry about Ren and her secrets. She'll tell you when she's ready. Or maybe you'll figure it out yourself." Steph giggled after what she said.

"That's all well and good, but how long will it takes. Days? Weeks? Months?"

"It depends on the type of person she's testing. For me, it took a week. For others, it took a month or two. Who knows with you? I mean, with that attitude of yours, I'd wager it'll take half a year."

"What's wrong with it?" Toshiro exclaimed, standing up.

"That. You're so short tempered, it's no wonder she hasn't left you many hints. And there's that cold personality of yours." Steph bent down to pick up her bag and slung it on her shoulder. "If you need any other advice, let me know." In that instant, Ren slammed the door open and ran inside the common room.

"Mission accomplished!" Ren yelled, triumphantly holding the flute case above her head. Steph and Toshiro stared speechlessly at the breathless Ren. "Hn? Was I interrupting something?"

"Oh, no. Nothing!" Steph said, smiling. She hooked an arm around Ren's shoulders. "Grab your bag. The bus gets here in five minutes."

"What? Five minutes?" Ren exclaimed. "Aw, crappers! Was I really searching that long?" Ren quickly grabbed her bag from the ground. "C'mon, Shiro! I heard there's gonna be thunder tonight!"

"So?"

"I hate thunder!" Ren yelled, a panicked expression on her face.

"!" Toshiro's eyes widened a little at Ren's exclamation.

"Let's go, let's go, let's go!" Ren dashed out of the door and through the corridor.

"See? What did I tell ya?" Steph winked at Toshiro. "Little hints. They're worth paying attention to."

"…" Toshiro nodded. He clearly had a lot to absorb about Ren. Bullies, isolation, secrets, and on top of that, the puzzle she's putting him through. Clearly, Ren had a lot of trouble in the past.

"Guys, come on!" Ren yelled, peeking her head around the doorway.

"Coming! Let's go, Toshiro!"

"Yeah…" Toshiro followed the girls out onto through the gates and to the bus stop. However much Ren went through seemed insignificant to Toshiro right now, or it would be as a Soul Reaper. Even though he only wanted to know Ren's secret, he couldn't help but think about her past, and her complex personality. Even through all that, Toshiro couldn't help but admire Ren.

"Ah, by the way, Shiro. I have something for you back home. I'll show it to you when we get there if you like. I think you might find it useful against the um…pests." Ren smiled happily at Toshiro as they walked together. "Okay."

"Sure." Toshiro nodded. And that smile was the precise reason why he admired Ren. Despite the hardship, he admired how Ren never lost the ability to smile. And that only strengthened his resolve to discover more about Ren. Not just about her link to the feathers, her dreams or her other personality, but also about her as a person. If anything, he just wanted to make sure Ren never lost her smile.

…

"Tch. Look at them. Living their lives as if they never had a care in the world." In a crystal orb hovering in the air, there was the image of Toshiro and Ren walking together through a village. "Makes me sick to the stomach." The viewer himself was Sentaro, who still kept his hood over his head. "That girl…" He glared at Ren, who was smiling happily, while Toshiro still wore his trademark frown. "That girl is dangerous and moving. The boy…I'm not sure about him. But, the mistress said to keep an eye on him, too. He may be weak, but he could be a powerhouse just like her. No, I shouldn't say that. That was an entirely different person." Sentaro looked into the palm of his hand. In it was a small silver charm shaped like a feather. It flashed in the sunlight, and seemed to give off a low growl. "Mark my words. This Feather will test your strength to the limits…girl."

"Sentaro."

"Yes, mistress?" The orb changed to show the same silhouette of the woman he spoke to several days ago.

"I know what you're thinking. That Feather is dangerous, even if it was by my recommendation. Test the two children, but don't kill them. That girl is too important to die."

"She's not important. She's a lethal weapon." The silhouette was silent, except for the sound of bubbles rising around her in the orb she floated in.

"You know what that girl's message said. She is alive inside the one known as Ren. Don't kill her. Not yet, anyway."

"Understood." Sentaro said somewhat grudgingly.

…

"Ta-da!" Ren beamed, holding out her gift for Toshiro. In her hands was a single edged, wooden sword. Both of them had changed out of their uniforms, with Toshiro in his usual white trousers and black shirt, while Ren had a white blouse decorated with red flower patterns, a red sleeveless jumper over it and a small ribbon was tied on the blouse in a bow just above her chest, along with a pair of light blue jeans. Right now, they were in the living room of her house.

"What's this? A kendo sword?"

"Nah, we don't have kendo here. It's a sword my brother made. He makes wooden weapons in his free time. They're pretty strong. I know you're a swordsman, so I hope it'll be useful, even if it isn't metal."

"Then get him to make a real sword."

"What are you kidding?" Ren exclaimed. "I don't want the police knocking on my door!"

"Alright, fine." Toshiro took the sword out of her hands and looked at it from the tip to the handle woven with string. He must admit, it did look a lot like a regular katana, other than the fact it was made of wood. "Your brother is a good craftsman."

"Isn't he?" Ren smiled. "He's studying engineering at university because he was always building stuff in the garage. But, he still makes stuff like this in his spare time. You should meet him."

"For all I know, he already knows me."

"What do you…Oh, yeah. That thing that happened."

"Anyway, thank you."

"…" Ren looked at Toshiro, a little surprised.

"What?" Toshiro said.

"Oh, nothing. I just never heard you say thank you before."

"What of it?" Toshiro scoffed.

"Yeah, it is pretty stupid." Ren shrugged.

"Then why say it?" Toshiro sighed. "Never mind."

_Rrrrrrrr_

"Huh?" Toshiro glanced left and right. What was that sound he just heard? "Did you hear that?"

"Eh?" Ren looked up from a manga she was reading.

"Don't read in the middle of a conversation!"

"I thought we were finished."

"Can't you tell?" Toshiro exclaimed.

"It's complicated."

"Urgh! Why do I bother?" Toshiro yelled, throwing his arms up in the air in exasperation. Steph had to be wrong. There's no way Ren could be paying attention to things. She was reading a manga book, for goodness sake!

_Rrrrrrrr_

"What was that?" Ren asked

"That's what I said."

"You heard it then?"

"Yes." Toshiro sighed. She was definitely dense. No way could she be observant.

"Where is it coming from?"

_Rrrrrrrr_

"The park!" Ren went to the window, opened it and stuck her head outside. She listened again, and she heard that noise once again. "Yeah, it's definitely the park."

"You have a park?" Toshiro asked.

"Yes, we do. There's a pond there and everything." Ren shut the window while she spoke. "I sensed something that way, too. Can you sense it, Shiro?"

"No I…actually, yes. Yes, I sense it now!"

"A feather." Ren narrowed her eyes. Quickly she grabbed her handbag from her sofa, threw it across her body and ran to the front door. "We're going out for a bit mom!" Ren yelled, hopping on one foot to slip her trainers on.

"Don't be out too late."

"C'mon, Shiro. Grab your sword. We've got a feather to kill.

…

"Huh." Ren scratched her head. "I could've sworn it was around here." In the surprisingly large park, there was greenery ad far as the eye could see, along with the occasional playground equipment, like swings and climbing frames. In the middle of it all was a pond that was so large, anyone would have thought that it was a lake. But, there was no sign of life except for Toshiro and Ren, who were stood on the very edge of the pond.

"I thought so, too." Toshiro said, confused. "Maybe it was a false alarm."

"No. We never have that noise on a daily basis. We sensed it up here, too." "Ren looked at her reflection in the water. "Where did it go?"

"I think it's still here." Toshiro looked at the wooden sword he held in his hand. "I can feel it."

"Battle instinct?" Ren asked. Toshiro nodded. "You look over there. I'll check here."

"Right." Toshiro proceeded to wander away from Ren, never letting go of his sword. He knew that it probably won't be that useful, but for some reason, it provided him with some form of comfort just by having something that looked like a weapon by his side, even if it wasn't Hyorinmaru.

_Something doesn't feel right…_ Ren thought. _I'm sure I felt it here._

_Rrrrrrrr_

"Speaking of feeling…" Ren muttered. She looked at her feet. "I felt something." Her eyes widened. "Wait a second…" Ren looked at her reflection in the water again. After several seconds, she heard the noise, and at the same time, the water vibrated. "I knew it! Shiro!" Ren yelled over to Toshiro. "I found it!"

"What? Where?" Toshiro yelled back.

"I think…I think it's below us!"

"That's impossible!" Toshiro ran back to Ren's side. "If it went underground, wouldn't there be some evidence of that happening?"

"I felt it. I know I did!"

_Rrrrrrrr._

"There it is again!" Ren protested. "The ground vibrated!"

"There's no way a huge monster could-"

"The water, Shiro! Look at the water!" Ren pointed at the surface of the huge pond. Toshiro looked. Almost instantly, the noise happened again, and once again, the water vibrated. "I know I'm right."

"But…where?"

"I don't know. It's below us somewhere." Without warning, Ren grabbed Toshiro's sword. "Get out here and face us, you coward!" Ren yelled, pounding the ground with the sword.

"Hey, cut that out!"

"Why?" Ren asked, an innocent look on her face. "If we whack the earth, it'll come out."

"…" Toshiro stared at Ren with a sweat drop expression.

"It's true. Enemies underground are attracted to noise, like moles. So, if we make a lot of noise, it'll come out and we can face it. I've seen it on TV loads of time."

"Real life and TV are completely different." Toshiro muttered.

"Any better ideas?" Ren asked.

"No."

"Whacking it is!" Ren grinned. "As soon as it comes out, then we can play a little whack-a-Feather!"

"Fine."

"And for your information, I saw it on a reality show."

"You watch reality shows?"

"I was bored, alright?"

_RRRRRRR_

"Whoa!" Ren and Toshiro both lost their balance and fell back onto the grass. "What the hell was that?"

"That noise was louder." Ren felt the ground. "It's like an earthquake." Suddenly, the ground began to crack under Ren's hand. "Eh?"

"What now?"

"Shiro, get back!" Ren said frantically, standing up.

"Why? What's happening?"

"Just come on!" Ren grabbed Toshiro's arm, pulled him off the ground and forced him into a run. "It's coming out! It's gonna burst out of the ground! And it's huge!"

"What? Here?" Toshiro gasped. The ground suddenly exploded behind them, forcing them off their feet and skidding across the grass. The two of them were showered with bits of earth and grass, and there was now a large hole in the ground from the explosion. Lowly, a silvery hand grabbed the edge of the pit, followed by two more. Gradually the ends of the hands emerged with a loud creek, and Toshiro and Ren could only watch as the monster rose out of the pit. A head eventually emerged out of it, and the monster stood tall and straight in the park. It looked like a machine, except it was made out of flesh, and the skin had a grey colour that looked like metal in the sunlight. The head of the monster bared a striking resemblance to a manta ray, with a slightly pointed front, and many silvery tentacles were waving where there would be a mouth.

"A tripod?" Ren breathed. "Man, H.G. Wells is probably turning in his grave right now."

"Who?"

"Never mind." Ren stood up, brushing the dirt off her clothes. "It's out now, so let's kick its ass."

"Are you crazy? We can't defeat that!"

"Haven't you fought Hollow's this big before?" Ren asked.

"Yes, they're called Menos Grande. But that was when I was a Soul Reaper."

"So, maybe this is the Feather's equivalent to a Menos Grande." Ren said thoughtfully, not listening to Toshiro.

"There you go being reckless again." Toshiro stood up and went towards Ren. "Let's get out of here and-" Toshiro stopped himself as soon as he grabbed Ren's hand.

"What is it?" Ren asked. "Shiro?"

_What is this?_ Toshiro thought, wide eyed. _As soon as I grabbed her hand, I felt something. Something is inside of me. Is it…is it spirit energy?_

"Shiro!" Ren forced Toshiro to let go of her hand.

_It's gone…_

"So what? Are we running or are we fighting?" Ren asked impatiently.

_It wasn't a lot, but there's no doubt about it. When I touched her, most of my powers were temporarily restored. It's not enough to use Hyorinmaru, or even to get out of this Gigai, but it's enough. If I can just use that energy and attack that Feather…_ Toshiro looked up at the Feather, a new determination in his eyes. _Then we might have a chance of winning._

"Well?"

"Listen to me. I have an idea. But I'll need your help."

"Just tell me what to do." Ren said, attentive. The tripod Feather, meanwhile, raised its tentacles up and crouched down to force them deep into the ground, causing another small earthquake.

"Ah!" Ren clung onto a climbing frame to prevent herself from falling over. "What's the plan?"

"Give me your hand." Toshiro instructed. Ren immediately did so, and Toshiro grabbed a hold of it. Immediately, he felt a powerful force go through his arm and spreading into his body. It indeed felt like spirit energy, and it was a little more than the first time they made contact. Perfect. "When we make contact, my powers a temporarily restored."

"Eh?" Ren exclaimed. "Then bring out your big sword!"

"I can't. It's only a little. But it's enough to land a good hit on that thing."

"Well do it quickly. I've got a bad feeling about those tentacles."

"Come on!" Toshiro ran straight towards the tripod, never letting go of Ren's hand. He stopped short of the tentacles. "Its head is in range. Just what I need."

_This energy is strong, but I'll have to use the full incantation. I should count myself lucky that it's vulnerable right now_. Toshiro jammed his wooden sword behind his belt, and keeping a firm grip on Ren's hand, raised his free right hand up to the Feather. _I'll have to use a mid-level. With my power, it should be enough to at least leave a hole in its head._

"The one who reigns!" Toshiro began. "Mask of flesh and blood, all creation, the flute of wings, the one who crowns us with the name! Gathering of heat and war, beyond the seas in reverse, take steps to the south!" While Toshiro recited the incantation, he saw a red ball of energy developing on his palm.

_It's working!_

"Hado thirty one: Shakkaho!" With that, the red energy ball blasted away from Toshiro's hand towards the centre of the Feather's head. It was a direct hit, and the monster staggered back, the front tentacles snapping off its head in the process.

"Ha-ha!" Ren yelled triumphantly, snapping her fingers. "Nice one, Shiro!"

"That should be enough to damage it, even if it is a little."

"Hell, with all that smoke from its head, I'd say you killed it! You did it, Shiro!" The feather slowly stood upright as the smoke faded away. When it cleared, Ren and Toshiro were shocked to realise that there was only a small dent in the centre of its head.

"It didn't work!" Ren gasped. The feather gave a low growl, prompting Ren and Toshiro to ready themselves for an attack. Nothing happened. "It's not doing anything."

"It doesn't add up." Toshiro let go of Ren's hand, looking up at the still Feather. All it did in response was move one leg back with a creak and stare down at Toshiro (although it was hard to tell due to the lack of eyes).

"Wait! Shiro, look! Those tentacle things!" Ren pointed at the tentacles, or rather, the spaces where they would be. The silvery tentacles were gone, and only the holes where they were remained. "When did this happen?" Ren ran over to the holes, dropped onto her knees and peered down one. "There's nothing there! Hello!" Ren sat back up again, looked to Shiro and brought her hands up to shoulder height.

"They're underground again." Toshiro said, voicing what both of them thought.

"Yeah." Ren nodded. She stood up and walked backwards to Toshiro slowly, until the two of them were back to back.

"What about the Feather?" Toshiro asked in a hushed voice.

"It's not doing anything, so we might be safe, but don't let your guard down. It might be using those tentacles to attack us, and while we're distracted, it will attack us."

"How cowardly." Toshiro muttered, rather disgusted.

"Ah! I'm unarmed!" Ren exclaimed, looking at her empty hands. After looking left and right repeatedly, she made do with a cricket bat lying on the ground next to her, and proceeded to hold it us as though she were holding a sword. "Good thing the neighbours left this behind. Shiro, you'd better get armed, too."

"With this thing?" Toshiro said, holding the hilt of the wooden sword.

"Yes, that thing." Ren responded, rolling her eyes. "It's actually useful, and very durable. I tested it myself."

"Saying "actually" doesn't quite reassure me." Toshiro muttered, but he complied and pulled the sword out from his belt, holding it out in front of him, ready to attack. There was a long silence. Nonetheless, Toshiro and Ren kept their guards up, glancing in different directions for any sign of movement. Nothing. The Feather, meanwhile, was standing stationary, towering over the pair. Yet, it never made any attempt to attack them. Several more minutes passed, and the sky was starting to turn a light shade of orange as the sun set.

"Rrrrrrrr…" Ren growled, clenching her bat. "This tension is killing me!" Ren screamed, throwing her arms up in the air and startling Toshiro. "Come out already!"

"Um…hey. Calm down." Toshiro said nervously.

"Over there!" Ren ran straight past Toshiro, and slammed the bat on the ground. There was a loud crunch as it made contact with a tentacle. Ren removed the bat, and there was the head of the tentacle, snapped in two from the blow, yet it didn't bleed.

"I got one." Ren smiled to herself. "Huh?" Her smile fell when the tentacle started to move. The head broke off completely, and grew a new body, while the former body sprouted a new head. With that, they both dove back into the ground, just missing another swing of Ren's bat.

"They clone themselves when damaged." Toshiro said, making note of the observation mentally.

"Great. Just great." Ren said sarcastically. "Ah!" Five taller tentacles suddenly burst out in front of her, prompting her to back away to Toshiro's side. The five tentacles glared down at the two of them with their invisible eyes, their bodies twisting left and right.

"There's five more on this side, too." Toshiro said when five more burst from the ground behind him. "We're surrounded."

"Well, then." Ren clenched the handle of her cricket bat. "I guess we gotta break out of here. Listen, I'll take care of these tentacles. You try and go after the Feather and use that weird magic of yours again. This time, make it a big one."

"I have to be in contact with you."

"Okay, that's plan A down the drain. Plan B; get rid of these things, then we both charge at the Feather."

"That might work."

"So let's bust ourselves out of here!" Ren charged at the tentacles again, snapping three necks in half with one swing. Several others stabbed at the ground Ren stood on, but she dodged each one as though she were dancing. Each time she destroyed a tentacle, two took its place, but Ren did not falter. A tentacle crawled across the ground and wrapped itself around Ren's legs.

"Yah!" She yelped. "So you're a leg type, eh?" Ren smashed the body without hesitating. "Ow!" Ren rubbed at her leg as soon as the tentacle let go. "Maybe that wasn't so smart."

"Hyah!" Toshiro followed suit and swung at the tentacles with his sword, breaking their necks in half, and the sword didn't even crack. "It worked." Toshiro said, rather surprised.

"See? I told you!" Ren boasted, overhearing Toshiro's remark. "I'm through!" Ren jumped over the lower bodies of some tentacles before they had a chance to regenerate. "Hold on, Shiro!" Ren brought the bat down and smashed the heads of the tentacles in front of Toshiro. In a split second, she grabbed his shirt and pulled him out of the circle just before they regenerated again. Unfortunately, Ren lost her balance and they both collapsed on the ground.

"You alright?" Ren asked.

"I'm fine." Toshiro answered. "But…" Toshiro and Ren looked up at the tentacles as they slithered towards them like snakes. Ten had suddenly become fifty, and Ren and Toshiro were surrounded. Before the tentacles reached them, they burrowed underground, leaving multiple holes around them.

"Oh, great. We get to do this some more?" Ren said.

"Forget them. That Feather is controlling them. We have to take it out. Let's go!"

"Right!" Toshiro and Ren ran over the holes straight towards the Tripod Feather. However, Ren was cut off from Toshiro when five tentacles burst out from the ground in front of her. "Wah!"

"What?" Toshiro skidded to a stop and turned to Ren, who was trying to hit the tentacles with her bat, but they had learnt their lesson, and were evading her every move by bending their bodies this way and that.

"Don't worry about me! I'll be there soon!" Ren yelled, aiming another swing at the tentacles, which they dodged. "Ah! That does it!" Ren spun on the spot, and aimed a kick at the tentacles. It was successful, and all five of them were caught in the hook-like shape of her leg and promptly slung to the ground, where they borrowed into the soil again. "Alright! Eh?" Before Ren could even think of moving to Toshiro, two tentacles had snuck out of the ground, and wound themselves around each of Ren's feet. "I'm stuck!" Ren tried to pull her feet free, but to no avail. "Let go dammit."

"…" Toshiro watched Ren struggle, frantically thinking of a way to help her without risking the tentacles grabbing him. But, his attention was soon drawn to behind Ren. A tentacle was behind the ailing Ren, which towered over her. The head of it became much more pointed, until it sharpened into something resembling a spear head. His eyes widened. It was going to kill Ren!

"Ren, watch out!" Toshiro yelled "Behind you!"

"!" Ren gasped, staring right at Toshiro with wide eyes. She had stopped struggling in her shock, and had even dropped the cricket bat she was using.

_What's she doing? _Toshiro thought, gritting his teeth.

"Behind you!" Toshiro yelled again. Ren quickly recovered from her shock and looked behind her, just as the spear headed tentacle lunged at her. She ducked to her left just in time, but it still managed to make a large gash on her right upper arm, making her cry out in pain and clutch her injury. Another tentacle took advantage of this distraction and shot out of the ground, binding her arms to her sides and squeezing tighter and tighter around her. Five more tentacles slithered out of the ground, and their heads also sharpened into spear heads, ready to strike at Ren at any moment.

"Ren!" Ignoring every instinct that told him not to charge in, Toshiro rushed at the tentacles, his wooden weapon ready to snap their necks. He didn't understand why, but some part of him wanted to see Ren alive and well. Not because of the mission, her abilities or the Feathers. He just had to save her! "Grah!" With one mighty swing, the tentacles ready to attack Ren snapped in two. He then proceeded to raise the sword above his head, and with another loud yell, he brought it down on the tentacle binding Ren, freeing her. He stamped on the tentacles at Ren's feet, grabbed her arm and ran out the circle of tentacles before they could even begin to regenerate. He stopped running when he saw a dome shaped climbing frame that was surrounded by some flooring that looked like concrete but was made of rubber. He crawled through a hole and into the dome.

"In here." Toshiro grabbed a hold of Ren's arm again and gently pulled her into the dome. "There." He said somewhat breathlessly. "They can't get us in here." His attention immediately went to Ren, who was lying on the ground with one hand on her wound. "Hey. Ren! Ren, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I think so." Ren answered, sitting up onto her knees.

"You're hurt! Let me see!" Toshiro said with a frantic tone that surprised him a little, but he was too concerned about Ren to care. He immediately crawled to Ren's right side to look at the wound. Ren's hand was covered with blood from clutching it, but he could clearly tell that it was a large gash.

"It's fine. It's just a cut." Ren reassured.

"You're bleeding! It's far from alright!" Toshiro went back to where he was so that he could look directly at Ren. "This wouldn't have happened if you'd ducked in time!"

"Yeah, I know. Sorry." Ren apologised.

"Don't just be sorry! When I say watch out, I mean watch out! Do you have any idea how-" Toshiro stopped himself from finishing his sentence with a stunned expression on his face.

"Shiro?"

"I…" Toshiro started, his voice quieter. He almost told Ren exactly how he felt when Ren was attacked. He was about to say how scared he was. Why was that? Toshiro quickly shook of this thought. "It doesn't matter. Just tell me why you didn't duck when I told you too."

"…" Ren hesitated, looking down at her lap. "I just… I was surprised."

"Anyone would be surprised. That's the idea of a sneak attack."

"No, not that." Ren shook her head. "I was surprised because that was the first time you…" Ren paused in the middle of her sentence.

"First time? I've told you to get out the way lots of times." Ren looked away, hesitating.

"It was the first time you told me to get out the way like that."

"Huh?" Toshiro blinked, confused. First time? What was she talking about? Ren turned back to Toshiro and looked directly in his eyes, which immediately made her feel uncomfortable.

"That was the first time you called me by my name." Ren said, looking away from his eyes as soon as she finished speaking.

"!" Toshiro gasped after what Ren said. Her name? That was all? Thinking back on it now, Toshiro realised that since meeting her, he never referred to Ren by her name when talking to her. He didn't even use it when talking to her friends. Toshiro thought back to what Steph said.

"_My point is, Ren may look like she's dense and doesn't join in, but actually, she pays close attention to what's around her, especially her friends."_

_She was right…_

"Ren…" Toshiro started.

"Yeah?"

"Did you really pay attention to something like that?" He asked, avoiding eye contact with Ren. Somehow, he felt too ashamed to even look at her.

"Uh-huh. It was kinda unconscious, though."

"Were you sad?"

"I…I guess. I don't understand feelings very well. It's complicated, though." Ren giggled. "Why are you asking these things, Shiro? It's not like you."

"…" Toshiro said nothing.

"_But, somehow, she finds a way to touch people deep inside without even realising it. Even the coldest and meanest characters in this school aren't immune to her ability."_

_She was right about that, too._ Toshiro thought to himself.

"Hey, look! My scratch has healed!" Ren beamed at her healed arm, even though it was still stained with blood. "Whew! I'm glad there's no blood on my clothes."

"Really? It's healed?"

"Yup." Ren grinned. "Wait, was it on the forearm or the other arm name? I forget. Hmmm…Shiro, is the forearm the bit between the elbow and wrist?"

"Don't…"

"Eh?" Toshiro hesitated for a moment. He couldn't really believe he was about to say this, especially to a human.

"Don't scare me like that."

"Yeah." Ren smiled. "Sorry. I'm alright now."

"Good."

"Say, why aren't we being attacked by those tentacle things?" Ren asked. "Oh, I get it." Ren tapped her fist on the ground. "It's rubber. They can't get in, even if they are alien." Suddenly, a bump appeared in the ground just below Ren's hand. "Ah!" Ren crawled back away from the bump, which disappeared back into the ground. "Shiro, about our plan…"

"Ignore those things. We need to get to that huge Feather." Toshiro decided, shrugging off the previous conversation. He would worry about that later.

"Right. Try that weird magic of yours again."

"It's not magic!"

"Whatever." Ren grabbed Toshiro's left hand.

"…" Toshiro stared down at the sudden contact with Ren's hands, feeling his face flush a little.

"What?" Ren asked. "We have to be in contact."

"Yes, yes. Forgive me." Toshiro shook his head quickly. "Let's go!" With that, Ren and Toshiro dashed forward and through a large hole in the climbing frame, just as several tentacles burst inside the frame, making so many holes that the frame collapsed into a hole. The large feather slowly turned its head to face Toshiro and Ren. The pointed front of its face began to glow a faint green. Without warning, it fired a blast straight towards the pair.

"Watch out!" At the same time, Ren and Toshiro leapt to their right and carried on running.

"That was a Cero! I mean, it was like a Cero! Just like the other Feathers!"

"Oh, NOW it attacks us!" Ren and Toshiro jumped over a see-saw in their path, but the Tripod Feather stamped on the ground in front of them with one of its huge legs, preventing them from moving further. It lowered its head to ground level to get a closer look at the two of them, prompting the two of them to walk back away from it.

"Crap…" Ren said.

"I think that sums it up."

"Wait a minute, you need to do your thingy, Shiro! You know, your chokaho thing!"

"My what?" Toshiro asked, confused.

"I dunno! Something about thirty one! Why would we be holding hands?" Ren lifted up their joined hands to prove her point. "Just do it while it's here! And make it big! That little one only dented it!"

_She's so bossy. _Toshiro thought, mentally sweat dropping while placing his wooden sword back behind his belt.

"The one who reigns!" Toshiro raised his hand up to the Feather, however, the Feather expected this, and the lip of the head sprouted another tentacle, which flicked behind its head, ready to strike. "What the…"

"This thing can regenerate, too?" Ren gasped. The tentacle came down and swatted Toshiro and Ren away as though they were flies, making them go flying through the air and into the pond. The Feather charged up another blast on its tip while Toshiro and Ren resurfaced.

"Are you alright?" Toshiro gasped, shaking the water out of his hair.

"I'm fine. Whoa, this pond's deeper than it looks. It's practically a lake." Ren glanced at the feather, and her eyes widened. "Oh, crappers! It's gonna attack us again!"

"That thing's insane!" Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the tentacles coming out of the ground, surrounding the duo in the pond. One by one, they dove into the water and slithered across the surface towards them. "This isn't good."

"No crap!" Ren exclaimed. One tentacle reached Ren and wrapped itself around Ren's wrist. "Ah! Get off!" Ren shook her arm frantically, and the tentacle flew off back into the water several metres away. However, it recovered quickly, and it slithered towards Ren again.

"Get underwater!" Toshiro shouted, swatting away another tentacle that pounced towards him with his arm.

"I can't hold my breath for very long!" Ren protested.

"Which is better? Drowning or…" Toshiro stopped short when a tentacle tried to strangle him by wrapping its entire body around his throat. He quickly pulled it off and threw it away. "Or being strangled?" He finished.

"…" Ren held her chin thoughtfully, thinking it over. "Drowning." She decided.

"You didn't have to think about it…" Toshiro grumbled. With a huge roar, the Tripod Feather shot its blast straight towards Ren and Toshiro.

"Shiro!" Ren reached her hand out towards Toshiro. Toshiro reached out to grab it, but the blast hit the water just as their fingertips touched, splitting the water into two massive waves, each one containing either Toshiro or Ren. They both fell out of the waves as the water began to fall back to the earth, and several tentacles showered on them. Once again, they reached out hands, one trying to reach the other.

"Ren!"

"Shiro!" As the waves got closer towards each other, Toshiro and Ren touched fingertips once again, until their hands finally linked together, just as the waves collapsed on them. The waters tossed and turned in the hole, and after the waves chopped for a while, it was still. The Feather stared at the water for several seconds. It gave a low growl, and the tentacles slithered out of the water, across the ground, up its long legs and into the bottom of its head. The Tripod stared at the water for a few more seconds. In the centre, there was a small whirlpool the size of a tennis ball. Gradually, it became the same size as a football, until it suddenly grew larger to take up half the massive pond. In the middle of this, a bubble-like shield floated out of the middle and in the air, level with the Tripod's head. Inside of it were Ren and Toshiro, alive and very confused.

"Wh…what in the…" Toshiro stammered, placing a free hand on the shield. It felt wet and smooth to the touch, like a real bubble.

"When did this happen?" Ren thought out loud. The two of them looked at one another, then at their firmly clasped hands, then at the whirlpool below their feet.

_Are we doing this? _They both simultaneously thought.

"Well…What happens if I do this?" Ren raised her right arm above her head. To her right, a waterspout emerged from the whirlpool next to Ren. "Whoa!" Ren exclaimed. She looked at her hand. She looked over her shoulder and raised her hand up again. Once again, a water spout came up. "One more." Ren raised her arm to her right, and a third water spout came up. "Wow, you know, that's kinda cool." Ren looked at Toshiro. "You try."

"I don't have powers, stupid."

"But we're in contact. Just try it."

"Fine." Toshiro sighed, reluctantly raising his free hand up. Immediately, water from the whirlpool followed the sweep if his arm, and twisted to form another water spout, rising up to the bubble until it was the same level as them. "Huh?"

"I knew it! We're doing this!" Ren looked at the Feather. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Ren asked, smirking.

"You mean…?"

"Yup." Ren nodded. "With these water thingies, we can win!"

"I'm not sure…"

"Just trust me." Ren said with a smile, looking right at Toshiro. With that, Toshiro said nothing more. How could he say no when Ren had that determined look on her face?

"What do we do?" Toshiro asked. Ren opened her mouth to answer, but was distracted when the Feather charged up another blast and fired it directly at the bubble. Ren and Toshiro braced itself for the impact, but instead, the attack bounced off like a mirror straight back at Tripod. It was a direct hit, and the Feather loudly staggered left and right from the blow.

"Return to sender…" Ren muttered, dumbfounded. "I-I mean, ha! Bet you didn't see that coming! Alright, Shiro, you ready?"

"Yes." He nodded. "Do you know what you're doing?"

"Of course not!" Ren replied happily.

"Eh?" Toshiro sweat dropped at her.

"But…But something inside me seems to know what to do." Ren raised their joined hands up to look at the bond. "Do you feel it, Shiro?"

"Not really…" Toshiro admitted. "Although it does feel familiar."

"Whatever the case…" Ren tightened her grip on Toshiro's hand, and he could have sworn that the water spouts around them were spinning faster than they were before. "Let's give it our best shot!" With that said, Ren thrust their joined hands towards the Feather, forcing the two of them to stand back to back. The spouts detached themselves from the whirlpool and shot straight towards the feather, and flew around its body this way and that, preventing it from escaping. Each blow dented the head, until one burrowed straight inside it, creating a massive explosion, prompting the other three spouts to shoot back to the whirlpool into their original form. The Tripod stood still for a moment, but eventually, it fell forwards and collapsed on the ground, scraping the ground in its path, until it came to a halt and was still.

"Yes!" Ren clenched a fist triumphantly. "We did it!"

"That's a relief…" Toshiro sighed.

"Is that all you have to say?" Ren asked, letting go of his hand. Instantly, the bubble shield disappeared with a pop, and the whirlpool vanished. "Ari? Nanda?" Instantly, the duo fell down back to the pond with screams of exasperation, and they landed back into the pond with loud splashes. Silence. Several seconds later, Toshiro and Ren resurfaced above the water, coughing and gasping. Ren clung to the pond to regain her breath, while Toshiro climbed straight out of it.

"Are you alright?" Toshiro asked.

"Cold." Ren answered gloomily.

"Let me help." Toshiro outstretched his hand towards Ren, who flinched.

"I don't want to." Ren said, fear in her eyes. "That whirlpool's gonna come back. With me in it!" Ren climbed somewhat ungracefully out of the pond and sprawled on her back on the ground. "Whew!"

"We won…" Toshiro said out loud, sitting down beside Ren. "I can't believe it myself. But…"

"Hm?"

"What was that attack we just used?"

"Don't know, don't care! As long as it helped, that's all that matters to me!" Ren exclaimed. She sat up to look at the feather. "Hey, isn't it supposed to turn into ashes by now?"

"You're right." Toshiro stood up and walked slowly towards the motionless Feather. Up close, the head was at least five times as tall as them. "It looks dead to me."

"If it was dead, it would turn to ash." Ren joined Toshiro by his side. She proceeded to bang on the head with er fist, making a metallic booming sound ring out in the atmosphere. "Helloooooooo? Anyone home?" Ren took a step back from it, hands on hips. "Stone dead. Deceased. Or maybe…" Ren then banged repeatedly on the Tripod very loudly. "Hey! Are you deaf?" She yelled. She suddenly stopped. "Wait, this thing doesn't have ears!" She turned around to face Toshiro. "Yeah, it's dead. It's probably just a machine Feather, or whatever." Ren saw a few flakes of ash float past her in the breeze. "Oh." She turned around again to look at the feather, walking backwards to Toshiro's side again. The feather was glowing white, and in one second, it burst onto ashes. "Wah!" Ren flapped her arms in front of her, fanning the ashes away from her while spluttering. "Do they have to make such a mess when they die?"

"What's that?" Toshiro saw something flash in the grass. He knelt down on the ground and picked it up. It was a silver charm shaped like a feather. "Look at this." Toshiro beckoned Ren over to look. "What do you think it is?" Toshiro asked, turning it over in his palm.

"Not sure. Let me have a look." Ren took the charm out of his hand and placed on her palm. Almost immediately, it flashed and turned from a silver colour to gold. "Hey, it changed colour."

"Why?"

"Dunno. But, I think this is a big clue in this mystery." The narrowed her eyes. "Dammit, I sounded like Scooby-Doo."

"Scooby-Who?" Toshiro asked, confused.

"Never mind." Ren dismissed what she said, placing the charm in her pocket.

_I'm glad that's over._ Ren thought. _But…_

"_Ren, watch out! Behind you!"_

_For some reason, that made me happy. He hasn't called me by my name since the battle finished._ Ren glanced at Toshiro, who was brushing the dirt off his trousers, but looked away as soon as he looked at her. Maybe it' wishful thinking, but I don't want him to stop calling me by name.

"Well…" Toshiro started, shaking some water out of his damp hair. "Shall we head back, Ren?"

"Eh?" Ren blinked pointing at herself.

"Your mother will get worried. And we'll catch a cold if we stay out here too long." Ren ignored what Toshiro was saying, and grinned from ear to ear. He called her by name again!

"Right!" She said cheerfully, wrapping her arms around Toshiro's, startling him.

"H-Hey!"

"What?"

"What's with your behaviour all of a sudden?"

"Oh, it's nothing! I'm just happy!"

"You're always happy!"

"Yes, but this time I'm really happy!"

"Quit dragging me! I can walk!"

"Then catch up, Shiro! I'm pretty fast at walking!"

"Ren!"

"Ahahaha!"

…

"I have returned." Sentaro bowed down on one knee to the silhouette once again.

"I heard that your Feather got destroyed."

"Yes. The girl took its core too. It purified on touch. Someone of her current level shouldn't have been able to defeat a level two feather." Sentaro clenched his fists. "What magic was that?"

"I believe I know."

"What?" Sentaro looked up at the silhouette, but with a gasp, he lowered it again.

"It is an ancient magic thought to be lost. Countless times have people tried to achieve it, but to no avail. That magic is only to be cast by certain people when there is a strong enough bond in that very instant."

"What magic is it?" Sentaro asked.

"Contact Union."

"!" Sentaro let out a gasp at the sound of the name.

"I see you recognise the name."

"B-But…That's impossible!" Sentaro protested, standing up. "To perform it out of luck is one thing, but for it to be two humans? That's incomprehensible!"

"Yes, those two are very special, indeed. Especially her."

"By her… you mean Ren?"

"Precisely." Sentaro could faintly make out the silhouette nodding. "This performance of Contact Union only confirms my suspicions. That girl wasn't bluffing when she gave her message." The silhouette raised her hand up. The blue bird appeared once again. "Repeat." She commanded.

"**I'm back."** The bird said in a muffled voice that sounded like Ren's.

"You don't think that it's true, do you?" Sentaro asked, bowing back down on one knee.

"I do." She answered, making the blue bird disappear. "I don't understand myself, but she seems to be acting through that girl called Ren. I can understand why. They do look somewhat similar. It's possible she is her reincarnation. We must look into her further before deciding what to do. Whatever happens, do nopt kill her."

"I understand." Sentaro said, standing up, bowing and turning to leave. However, he stopped himself. "But…"

"Hn?" Sentaro looked over his shoulder at the silhouette. Underneath his hood, he smiled wickedly.

"We can kill the other one, right?"

**TA DA! Man, that was kinda long. But it's looks cool. And sounds cool. Ah, crap! It's 2am! Heh, time flies when you're having fun. Am I right? Whoops! Anyway, favourite, review, and all the rest of it! See you next time!**


	7. Awakening

**Hi guys! How are we all today? Good, I hope. Welcome back to Fate and Destiny. Last time, Toshiro and Ren fought and defeated a huge Feather after using a strange magic called Contact Union. Plus, the mysterious organization is starting to suspect Ren of being a reincarnation of someone! Not only that, but now Toshiro is their target! What will happen?**

Chapter 5

Awakening

"We can kill the other one, right?" Sentaro asked.

"The other one? You mean that white haired boy." The silhouette was silent for a moment. "Ah, yes. Toshiro is his name, isn't it? That boy who is always with Ren. He is human, yet not human."

"What do you mean, mistress?" Sentaro asked, confused.

"It seems that he has great power within him and is not from Earth, yet when he arrived, those powers were taken from him. Now, he is just a human. It's possible that there is some form of…interference."

"In other words, he's powerless."

"Not quite. I'm sure you saw that spell he cast against the Feather. When he is with the girl, his powers are restored, but only temporarily. In short, if he were to be separated from that girl…"

"Then he is just a weak human." Sentaro finished.

"Precisely. Your job will be to confront these two, and don't let them get in contact with one another. Use that opportunity to corner that boy, and finish him."

"Understood." Sentaro nodded. "I assume you still do not want the girl dead?"

"No. Keep her alive. For now, that is. I'm sure Ren is her reincarnation. I just need more proof."

"Yes." Sentaro nodded.

"Take some feather shards with you. Also…"

"Yes?"

"Take Dixie with you."

…

"Alright, so I just have to whack the red balls?" Ren asked, holding a wooden rounders bat in her hands. Toshiro, on the other hand, was standing several metres away next to a machine that shot tennis balls, which contained red and white balls. Ren was dressed for sports, wearing a white tank top, blue denim shorts, blue and white sneakers and white knee high leg warmers which looked like something a high school girl would wear.

"Yes. Avoid the white ones. The red ones are Feathers."

"Got it." Ren nodded. She smirked, waving her bat a little. "Bring it!"

"Fine." Toshiro slammed a hand on the machine, pressing a button. It started up, and a red ball shot out towards Ren.

"Red!" Ren hit the ball so hard, it went all the way across the large field they were in. "Yes!" She clenched her fist triumphantly, but sweat dropped when she heard glass break. "Whoops. Do I lose marks for that?"

"No. But, you need to hit it hard enough to break the ball. If that was a Feather head, you would have barely dented it."

"How can I break a frikkin' baseball?" Ren exclaimed. "This thing is only made of wood!"

"Then get a metal one."

"We don't have metal bats here!" Ren yelled.

"Hey, Ren!"

"Huh?" Ren looked over her shoulder. "Oh, hi guys!" Ren beamed, running off to her left.

"Hey, get back here!" Toshiro yelled angrily.

"What are you doing out here?" Ren asked as soon as she reached her friends, Tom and Steph, who were dressed in more casual clothing. Tom, one of Ren's closest friends, had short curly blonde hair, and was just a little taller than Ren. Nonetheless, he was the type of boy who could get along with anybody.

"Oh, you know. It's the weekend, and the village can get a little boring." Tom answered.

"Yeah, same here." Ren said happily. "Me and Shiro are practising for…um…rounders."

"…" Toshiro glared at Ren while she chatted happily to Tom and Steph. Just to prove how Ren should get her priorities right, he pointed the still running ball shooter towards Ren.

"Ren…" Steph pointed at the ball machine, just as a white ball shot out.

"EYAH!" Ren yelled, hitting the ball so hard it broke. "Shiro, what was that for?" She shouted.

"Don't destroy the white ones!" Toshiro yelled back.

"Don't aim that thing at me!" Ren retaliated, pointing her bat at Toshiro. "I'm so sorry about Shiro, guys." Ren apologised.

"I'm just getting my priorities right!"

"Just come over here and stop yelling!" Ren shouted.

"Geez…" Toshiro grumbled, but he complied and shut down the machine, running to Ren's side.

"Why are you practising rounders? It's not like you?" Steph asked.

"Um…I dunno. I was bored."

"You know, you should be part of the rounders team at school."

"Oh, no, no! I'm not good enough for that!" Ren said, flustered after Tom's suggestion.

"Ren, we need to get going with training." Toshiro said as soon as he got to Ren's side.

"Yeah, yeah, just gimme a minute. Oh! That's right!" Ren smiled over at Tom, completely disregarding Toshiro's statement. "Tom, you've met Shiro, right?"

"No, I don't think I have." Tom outstretched a hand to Toshiro. "I'm Tom. Tom Barnes. Nice to meet you."

"Toshiro Hitsugaya." Toshiro grumbled, refusing to shake his hand. "Now that we know each other's names, I suggest you leave. We have more important things to take care of."

"Shiro! Don't be rude!" Ren smiled nervously at Steph and Tom. "I know. We have some spare bats. Wanna play?"

"Sure!" Steph beamed.

"What's the game?"

"Well, you've gotta hit the red balls out of that machine there, but you can't hit the white ones. Bonus points if you break 'em."

"Sound fun." Tom and Steph each grabbed a bat from the ground and joined Ren several feet away from the machine.

"Alright, Shiro. We're ready. Hit it!"

"…" With a reluctant sigh Toshiro pressed the button to start the machine again.

Half an hour later

"That was fun!" Steph said happily, linking arms with Ren. She has changed out of her sports gear, and was now dressed in denim overalls that had a skirt for a bottom, and underneath it was a white long sleeved top. She still wore her blue and white sneakers and leg warmers. Right now, Ren, Steph and Tom were walking through the town, while Toshiro trailed behind them with his hands in his pockets and his trademark frown on his face.

"Yeah, stuff's more fun when you're with friends." Tom said, smiling at Ren, who grinned back.

"That's true. You know, we should hang out more like this."

"Speaking of, I heard something you are not going to believe." Steph said, her voice lowering into a hushed whisper.

"Really? Tell, tell."

"Alright, well…" Tom and Ren leaned closer to Steph. Several seconds later, they burst out laughing.

"No way!" Tom gasped.

"That has totally made my day!" Ren proclaimed. Toshiro said nothing while Ren laughed.

"Oh, I've got one! Which video would you rather watch for a whole day? Nyan Cat or the Peanut Butter Jelly Time banana?" Tom asked.

"Peanut Butter Jelly." Ren answered immediately.

"Nyan Cat."

"Really?" Ren raised an eyebrow at Steph.

"Yeah. I think it's cute."

"So do I, but come on! The same song over and over again, watching a cat that looks like a pop tart fly across the sky farting rainbows is not my cup of tea for twenty four hours."

"So why Peanut Butter Jelly?" Steph asked.

"At least the song has different words to it."

"I agree with Ren."

"…" Steph hung her head.

"But Nyan Cat is cute. Can't deny that." Ren nodded her head in agreement to her own statement. Ren looked over her shoulder at Toshiro. "Hey. Shiro! Don't be shy!"

"I'm fine, Ren." Toshiro said dismissively. "Just leave me alone."

"Well, the offer's always open."

_There haven't been any more Feathers appearing since that massive one. This training I'm putting Ren through is just a precaution. She's made good progress so far, so I can relax a little. But…_ Toshiro looked at his hand while he walked. _For some reason, my powers temporarily return when I touch her. That's good, of course, but that could mean that the next time Sentaro attacks us, he'll try everything he can to separate us. _Toshiro clenched his hand into a fist. _I can't let that happen._

"Hey, Ren."

"Yeah, Steph?"

"Since when did you and Toshiro get on a first name basis?"

"Oh, well, it was quite recent, actually."

"Huh. You don't say."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Nothing, it's just that…Toshiro may be distant family, but…"

"It seems to me like he just came out of nowhere." Tom finished for Steph.

"…" Ren said nothing in response, though she did unlink her arm from Steph's.

"What's wrong?" Steph asked.

_They suspect something's wrong. _Ren thought. _I'm not sure what kind of magic I used in the headmaster's office, but it's wearing off on Tom and Steph. Why is that? What do I do?_

"Ren?" Tom asked.

"Oh, nothing, nothing." Ren smiled. "Say, we're in the city centre now, right?"

"So we are!" Tom said. Sure enough, they four of them had arrived in a square right in the centre of the shops lining it on three sides, except for the path Ren and the others were on, which was the only side not covered with buildings. In the middle of it all was a square building surrounded by scaffolding and ladders, though there were no workers on the platforms today. In fact, that was nobody around at all.

"That's odd." Steph said, an eyebrow raised.

"What is?" Ren asked.

"There's nobody around." Tom looked at his watch.

"It's only four o'clock."

"What's wrong?" Toshiro asked, noticing how the three friends had stopped walking.

"It's like a ghost town here. But, King's Square is the busiest part of this city." Tom explained.

"Hey!" Ren yelled, cupping her hands around her mouth. "Is anybody around?"

"Something's wrong." Steph said.

"Very wrong." Tom agreed.

"Shiro." Ren whispered, beckoning Toshiro to come to her, which he immediately did. "I think this is planned."

"So do I."

"You don't think a Feather is going to attack here, do you?"

"Probably. If so, we need to get your friends as far away as possible."

"Right." Ren nodded.

_Clink!_

"Eh?" Ren looked down at the ground. By her feet was a silver feather charm. "That charm…" Ren pulled out of the front pocket of her overalls the golden one. "That's just like the one we saw."

_Clink!_

_Clink!_

_Clink!_

"Rain?" Steph held her palm out, confused.

"No, it's metal." Tom said, crouching down to look at a charm. Before they knew it, Ren and the others were surrounded by silver feather charms.

"What's happening here?" Ren wondered out loud.

"!" Toshiro's eyes widened. He had just realised what the charms were.

"What's wrong?"

"Ren, these charms are the Feathers." Toshiro said quietly so that Tom and Steph couldn't hear them. "Your friends can see them, but as soon as they activate, their lives will be in danger. They can't see the actual Feathers."

"So these things are…their core?" Ren asked. Toshiro nodded. "Uh, oh."

"Ren?" Steph said.

"Tom. Steph. Get outta here."

"What?"

"Why?"

"Just go!" Ren yelled. Just as she turned around to face them, a charm by her feet glowed white, and in one second, it suddenly transformed into a huge Feather that had a red body and wings on its front legs.

"That's…" Toshiro gasped, recognising it as one of the Feathers they defeated.

"And there!" Ren pointed ahead of her. All around them, where there was a charm, a Feather transformed from it. Some of them were new, but the rest were all familiar to them. "These are the monsters in my photos."

"Ren, what's happening? Where did the charms go?" Steph asked, becoming more and more worried.

_That's right._ Ren thought. _They can't see them. I have to get them out of here._

"Nothing. Nothing at all." Ren said quickly. She grabbed their arms, ready to run. "Let's go and-"

"AAAAAAAHHHH!" Steph screamed.

"What is that?" Tom yelled, his eyes wide.

"What?" Ren said.

"There's a monster behind you!" Steph yelled.

"I know!" Ren yelled.

"You know?"

"Yes, I know, and Shiro knows, but you two can somehow see them when you couldn't, so you have to shut up before they kill you!" Steph and Tom kept quiet. "There." Silence. "Wait, you can see them?"

"Ren, get them out of here now!" Toshiro shouted.

"Shiro, they can see them!"

"What?" Toshiro gasped. "How is that possible?"

"It's because of her."

"Eh?" Ren looked up, as did everyone else, at the scaffolding. Standing at the very top was Sentaro, still dressed in his dark cloak. He jumped high into the air, and landed on one knee on the ground with little effort between Ren and Toshiro.

"Sentaro." Toshiro said, narrowing his eyes.

"What do you want?" Ren demanded.

"You know him?" Tom asked.

"Oh, yeah. We go way back."

"Friends of yours?" Sentaro asked acidly.

"Yeah." Ren raised an arm in front of them. "And you're not touching them."

"They're nothing to do with me." Sentaro scoffed. "Even if they can see the Feathers, they are not my priority."

"Feathers? What's he talking about, Ren?" Tom asked.

"I'll explain later." Ren said quickly, not taking her stare away from Sentaro.

"Why are you here?" Toshiro demanded.

"To continue my mission of cleansing this world. Seeing as Ren has not fully awakened yet, this won't be a problem."

"Awakened?" Ren repeated, cocking her head to the side. "I'm already awake."

"You wouldn't understand. And frankly, neither do I."

"Baka." Ren grumbled.

"All I know is that you are a potential threat. A threat that will one day have to be eliminated. Your swift defeat of me took me off guard, but now that I know who you are, I am prepared."

"I defeated you?" Ren asked, confused. "I don't remember. And yes, I am Ren."

"As I said, you wouldn't understand. However, if at all possible, I would like to see you awaken." Sentaro turned his hooded head towards Toshiro, who flinched a little, but he quickly recovered and put his guard up, fists clenched. "As for you, you are clearly powerless against us. Unless she is with you, you are as helpless as a new born baby."

"So if I'm like this, then we can beat you?" Ren asked, standing by Toshiro's side.

"Wha…" Sentaro staggered back. "When did you…?"

"When you were talking to Shiro, I just ran next to him. You were so busy you didn't notice." Ren proceeded to pull down an eyelid and stick her tongue out.

"Could you please try and be more mature?" Toshiro asked, sighing.

"No choice, then." Sentaro muttered. "Dixie!"

"Huh?" Ren blinked. "Pixie? Why is there a pixie-" Before Ren could finish her sentence, a shadow leapt out of the scaffolding, charged through the sky towards her and kicked her in the face, which sent Ren flying and tumbling across the pavement.

"Ren!" Toshiro gasped, turning to face her. "Are you alright?"

"Gah! Oi!" Ren yelled, sitting up with an extremely annoyed expression on her face. "Sneak attacks are not cool, dude!" The shadow landed on the ground and stood up, placing one hand on their hip. On second glance, Ren realised that her assailant was a girl who was around the same age as her. "I mean, ma'am."

"Not a scratch on you. It looks like the awakening will be happening soon." The girl giggled wickedly behind her hand. "This should be fun." The girl in question was dressed as though she were from a gymnasts club, wearing a dark pink leotard with a single thick strap over her right shoulder, an electric blue scarf tied around her waist, matching pink legwarmers and white ballet pump shoes. Her black hair was tied to one side in a high ponytail, and her green eyes were outlined with mascara and blue eye liner. "My time is Dixie. It's a pleasure to meet you." She narrowed her thin eyebrows at Ren. "And now prepare to be defeated."

"Look, Pixie, I don't know why you're here, but I don't wanna fight you. Besides…" Ren picked herself off the ground. "I'm already awake. If I wasn't I'd be asleep."

"A simple minded human like you couldn't possibly understand."

"Hey, I know I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, but I'm not simple minded."

"Whatever. Prepare to loose, shorty."

"I'm not short! I'm average!" Ren yelled, a vein throbbing on her head and waving her fists above her head. Toshiro made a mental note; there is only one insult that Ren would never let slide.

"Let me get a closer look at you. I like to see my victim's faces when I fight them." Before Ren could react, Dixie's face was just inches from hers. "Hm. Not bad. I can see a resemblance. No wonder she's so interested in you."

"She?" Ren repeated.

"Yes. The mistress." Sentaro said.

"Mistress?" Ren said. "Oh! I get it!" Ren beamed, slamming a fist on her palm.

"Get what?" Toshiro asked.

"You're having an affair!" She proclaimed, pointing at Sentaro. There was a long, and awkward, silence.

"Tell me she didn't say that…" Tom muttered, sweat dropping.

"That's Ren." Steph said.

"Yes, yes, that totally makes sense. You're cheating on your wife with the mistress you mentioned."

"He is not having an affair!" Dixie exclaimed.

"Oh, so you're his wife then?" Ren asked, prompting Toshiro to bury his face in his hand with a groan. Sometimes, Ren could be so stupid. At this point, he was agreeing with Dixie; she really is simple minded.

"Enough is enough!" Dixie yelled. "Sentaro, you take the brat. I'll waste this bitch myself." She turned her attention back to Ren, advancing on her while she walked backwards from her.

"Hey, wait a sec. I don't wanna fight anybody." Ren protested. "I can't fight in a skirt."

"Too late!" Dixie yelled, jumping up and kicking Ren's head, but she ducked down just in time and began to run around the square, trying to avoid Dixie. She stopped when she reached the scaffolding and climbed up a ladder as fast as she could, until she reached a middle level. Dixie jumped up and landed in front of Ren without any effort. "So you'd rather fall and die, huh?"

"Actually I was avoiding you. This is a hard hat area." Ren pointed at a hard hat sign to show her point. "And by the way, that jumping thing you did. Wow. Just...wow."

"Argh! You're even more annoying than her!" Dixie yelled in frustration.

"You mean the mistress?" Ren asked.

"I mean the other you!"

"?"

"Never mind. Let's go!" Dixie charged at Ren, attacking her with a fury of martial arts moves, while Ren managed to dodge almost every single one, only getting a few grazes from those she missed.

"Not bad. For a human!" Dixie successfully kicked Ren in the stomach, sending her skidding across the wooden platform until she reached the edge, where she wobbled on one foot before regaining her balance.

"That was close." She muttered, not paying any attention to Dixie.

"Your destiny came to an end when you faced me."

"Dixie!" Sentaro shouted. "We can't!"

"But I want to!" Dixie yelled back. "It's not fair! I want to kill her! I want to kill her so badly!"

"So do it." Ren said simply. "I mean, it's not like she'll ever find out."

"You'll seriously give up your life?" Dixie asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Yeah." Ren nodded. "If you'll leave my friends alone."

"Oh, no. We're not interested in them. They are just easy prey for the Feathers." Dixie snapped her fingers. A round bird cage made of yellow bolts formed around Steph and Tom, trapping them.

"What's happening?"

"Don't touch the bars, Tom I've got a bad feeling about them."

"See? We're only here for one person."

"Who?" Ren asked, suspicious.

"We're here…for that one." Dixie pointed a slender finger down to the ground, and straight at Toshiro, whose eyes widened. They were after him? Of all people? But why?

"Shiro?" Ren gasped, following Dixie's finger.

"That's right." Dixie smirked, clenching her hand finger by finger into a fist. "Our mistress sees him as a problem that might grow if we don't take it out permanently." She pointed at Ren. "You, on the other hand, have to live. For now."

"…" Ren said nothing, staring down at the ground with her hair hiding her eyes. She didn't understand. Why Toshiro? She could understand if it was her, but Toshiro had nothing to do with this.

"So, now that you're separated, it's time we-" Dixie was interrupted when Ren suddenly punched her in the gut. She gasped and staggered at the blow, but then she was kicked across the platform again by Ren. She flipped off her back and onto her feet, wiping the graze on her face with an angry look.

"Fine." Ren said, her eyes narrow. "If it's a fight you want, then it's a fight you'll get. But don't get the wrong idea. I'm not doing this to satisfy you. I'm doing this for Shiro!"

"Heh." Dixie smirked. "Now we're talking. So let's do this!" With that said, Ren and Dixie charged at each other, each one trying to trade blows, yet not landing a single hit.

"Ren!" Toshiro broke into a run towards Ren, desperate to help her. However, he stopped when Sentaro stepped in front of him.

"You're not going anywhere." He said coldly. "I came here to complete a job." Sentaro grabbed Toshiro's right arm and hoisted him off the ground, ignoring his struggles. "And that is exactly what I'm going to do."

"Let me go! Put me down right now, damn it!" Toshiro demanded, struggling to break free of Sentaro's strong grip. Sentaro said nothing, but he responded by tightening his grip on Toshiro's arm, making him give a small cry of pain. He could have sworn he heard a crack from his arm. "I'm sorry. It's not my nature to harm children." He clenched his free hand into a fist and punched Toshiro in the stomach. Toshiro tasted blood in his mouth and felt all breath leave him, and the edges of his eyes were turning black. It took all of his willpower to stay awake. "However, if the mistress requests it, then I shall carry out her orders without question. Even if it is to kill a child."

"I…"

"Hm?"

"I am not a child!" Toshiro swung back and kicked Sentaro directly in the face, knocking him back and releasing his grip on Toshiro's arm, dropping him back onto the ground. He promptly sat up and checked his arm. It had red markings where Sentaro had grabbed him, but other than that, he could move it, even if it hurt. It wasn't broken, which relieved Toshiro. He stood back up onto his feet wiping the trickle of blood that fell from the corner of his mouth.

"Shiro!" Ren yelled down from the scaffolding, turning away from Dixie. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah!" Toshiro yelled back, though it hurt his ribs to shout. "I'm fine!"

"Don't look away!" Dixie yelled, charging towards Ren for another attack.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry." Ren jumped up into the air, missing Dixie's attack, and grabbed a hold of a pole just above her. She swung up and balanced on top of it, turning around so that she faced Dixie's back.

"What? Where is she?" Dixie hissed, looking left and right.

"Hey, Pixie!"

"Huh?" Dixie turned around, only to be met with two feet on her face, knocking her off the platform and landed heavily on the bricked pavement. Ren somersaulted on the pole and crouched on it like a cat.

"How did she do that?" Steph gasped, amazed.

"When we were little, we used to do gymnastics together." Tom answered. "I stopped before her, but she kept going for several years. I never thought I would see her skills in action."

"Hey, you haven't broken anything have you?" Ren shouted at Dixie.

"Why…you…" Dixie growled, sitting up slowly, and she glared at Ren, hatred filling her eyes. Ren, in response, grinned.

"Oh, that's good!" She said happily. "I don't have to feel bad now!" She jumped down from the pole and landed gracefully back onto her feet. Carefully, she held onto the edge of the platform she was standing on, hung down and begun to climb down it as though the scaffolding were a giant climbing frame.

"As she thought, you are just like her, Ren." Dixie said, smiling wickedly.

"I'm not interested in fighting you." Ren said, dropping down onto the ground. She turned around and walked several paces towards Dixie. "I just want to know one thing." Ren narrowed her eyes at Dixie. "Who is it that I am so similar to?"

"Huh?" Toshiro turned to look at Ren, overhearing what she said.

"Che. It looks like I said too much." Dixie scoffed, standing up. "If I told you that would ruin the fun." Dixie shifted her eyes to Sentaro, who was sitting up while adjusting the hood over his head. "Have you killed that brat yet?" She shouted.

"No…" He growled angrily. "But I'm going to now. He just made the mistake of marking my face!"

"Good. Feathers! Attack those humans in the cage!" At the command, the Feathers all turned their heads towards Steph and Tom, who could only cling to one another for comfort.

"Stop it!" Ren cried. "They're my friends! Please don't hurt them!" She cried out when Dixie came up behind her, grabbed the back of her shirt and restrained her hands behind her back.

"You're not going anywhere, little girl." She hissed.

"You said you weren't interested in them!"

"Really?" Dixie said, pretending to be surprised. "Did I say that?" Dixie grinned. "I lied!"

"Let her go!" Toshiro shouted. Out of nowhere, Sentaro's hand reached out and grabbed his head. Sentaro's hand was so massive that he was able to hold Toshiro's head easily in his palm. Again, Toshiro was lifted off the ground.

"Ren, watch closely as the friends around you die." Sentaro said. He looked over at Tom, Steph and the advancing Feathers. "Those humans will be lunch meat for the Feathers. And as for this one, you shall see how cruel I can be." He faced Ren, who was still a safe distance from him. He raised Toshiro up so that he faced Ren. "I shall execute him before your very eyes by crushing his skull. Like this." Sentaro proceeded to gradually tighten his hold on Toshiro's head. Toshiro instantly felt the pain in his head as though a thousand needles were being poked into his brain, and made him unable to move his arms or legs. Instead, Toshiro found himself screaming from the unbearable pain.

"Leave him alone!" Ren yelled.

"I don't think so, honey." Dixie let go of Ren's top, held her chin and forced her to look into her heavily made-up eyes. "Learn this lesson, and learn it well. Because this is what will happen to you and everything you love if you continue to mess with us.

"…" Ren hung her head as soon as Dixie let go and wrapped her arm around Ren's neck.

"Come on, Sentaro. I know you're stronger than that."

"Very well." Sentaro made his grip even tighter, which only made Toshiro scream louder. He felt his very skull threaten to crack under the pressure, and his eyes blacked out so that he could only barely see Ren and her friends. His throat and lungs hurt so much that his voice started to get hoarse. As Sentaro's grip tightened again, Toshiro heard another loud cracking sound, and he felt something trickle down the side of his head.

"Please…" Ren begged quietly. "I'll do anything. Just stop it."

"Nope!" Dixie sang. "Can't do that!"

"!" Ren looked at Tom and Steph as the Feathers were creeping slowly towards their prison. She then looked at Toshiro, who was in so much pain, he couldn't even scream anymore. Ren looked back and forth between each of her friends, trying to think of something, anything, she could do to save them. But, her desperation soon turned to rage. Pure, unspeakable rage. Her fists clenched in Dixie's grip, and her body shook. How dare they hurt her friends!

"I'll ask you one more time." Ren said angrily. "Stop it!"

"And I said no." Dixie responded with a sadistic giggle. In that instant, the Feathers pounced towards Steph and Tom with ear splitting roars, and that was Ren finally snapped.

"I TOLD YOU TO STOP IT!" Ren screamed at the top of her lungs. What happened next was so fast; it was almost like a dream. As soon as Ren screamed, there was a huge burst of white light that made Dixie let go of her, where she floated off the ground for several seconds before being sent flying straight into Sentaro. The light rapidly spread to the edges of the city, making a wind almost strong enough to be a hurricane to blow through the surroundings. This wind was what sent Sentaro and Dixie colliding into one another and into a building hard enough to knock them unconscious, and it was this wind that made Toshiro's limp body drift with the wind, until he rammed into a lamp post and landed on the ground, unmoving. Likewise, when the white light reached Tom and Steph, their cage instantly dissolved, and the Feathers collapsed around them, writhing in agony.

"What's happening?" Steph yelled over the roar of the wind.

"Whatever it is, it doesn't matter right now. Toshiro is in trouble!" Tom dashed through the wind and in less than ten paces, he was kneeling by Toshiro's side. "Toshiro! Toshiro, wake up!" He yelled, shaking his shoulder. No response. He placed two fingers on Toshiro's neck.

_Good._ Tom thought. _He's still alive._

"Steph, help me." Tom instructed. Steph nodded. Tom and Steph each grabbed an arm and hooked it around their shoulders. They stood up, and they were both carrying Toshiro. "The wind's dying down." Sure enough, the light retreated back towards Ren, until it was a thick column of white light just in front of the scaffolding in the centre of the square. The wind still blew around them; the monsters were still in pain, and everywhere outside of the column of light still seemed to have a faint white glow.

"Just what is going on here?" Steph whispered. "And where's Ren?"

"Nn…"

"Oh?" Tom looked at Toshiro, who was stirring towards consciousness. "Toshiro, are you alright?" Toshiro's response was opening his eyes. The edges were still black, and everything was blurry, but the focus gradually came back, and his eyes met the relieved faces of Steph and Tom.

"Thank goodness." Steph sighed.

"Can you stand?" Tom asked, letting go of Toshiro's arm. After some hesitation, Steph did the same. Toshiro staggered a little as soon as Steph let go of his body. "Whoa, there." Tom grasped his shoulders before he could fall to the ground. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Toshiro insisted, shrugging off Tom's hands. In truth, Toshiro knew that he was badly injured, and he could feel his head swimming. Personally, he thought it a miracle that he was even standing up. "What about you? Did those monsters injure you?"

"No." Steph shook her head.

"Good." Toshiro glanced around him, and his eyes widened. "Ren! Where's Ren?"

"I think she's…she's over there." Tom said slowly, pointing at the column of light. Sure enough, there was a shadow in the light. This shadow looked very much like a person, and was lying back in mid-air as though they were lying on a bed, their arms dangling by their sides. This shadow was slowly and gradually getting higher and higher in the air. Toshiro narrowed his eyes at the shadow, trying to see anyone there who was familiar to him. And there was. The person floating inside the column was…

"Ren!" Toshiro shouted. "What's she doing up there?"

"I don't know!" Tom yelled, bringing his hands up to shoulder height. "She just screamed for those two to stop it, and then there was a flash of white light. I don't know what it was, but it knocked those two out cold!" Tom indicated the unconscious bodies of Dixie and Sentaro, where they had rammed into the wall of a building so hard, they dented it.

"Why isn't she stopping?" Steph asked. "She's just going higher and higher." A shockwave suddenly rang out through the city, knocking Tom and Steph off their feet, and prompting Toshiro to cling for dear life onto a street lamp to stay upright.

"That does it! I'm bringing her down!" Tom climbed back onto his feet and ran towards the column of light and Ren.

"Tom! Wait!" Steph yelled. Too late. There was a rumbling noise, and the column of light pulsed, forcing Toshiro back to where he started, landing heavily on the ground. "Tom!"

"What…What a shockwave…" Tom groaned, sitting up.

"Are you alright?" Toshiro asked, even though he was more concerned about Ren right now.

"Yes, but I can't get any closer." Tom looked at Toshiro. "What now? You know more about this than us? What do we do?"

_That light destroyed the cage these two were trapped in._ Toshiro thought, analysing the situation. _And it knocked Sentaro and that girl out. The Feathers seem to be in a lot of pain, too. Whenever someone tries to go near it, they are forced back. And with every second, Ren is only getting higher. If we don't act quickly, she'll be out of reach._

"Watch out!"

"!" Toshiro looked to his right, just as a Feather that looked like a giant spider shot a web at him through the tip of its mask. It wound itself around Toshiro's injured arm, making him wince. However, before the Feather could do anything else, another shockwave travelled through the area, destroying the Feather in a shower of ashes, and its charm blew through the wind until it landed several metres away. Toshiro somehow knew that that charm was important, so without hesitation, he moved away from the lamppost and ran towards the charm

"Toshiro, get back! You'll be attacked too!" Tom yelled. Toshiro ignored him, and as soon as he got to the charm, he picked it up. Nothing happened, and the wind still blew through the air.

_Nothing._ Toshiro thought. _I got even further than he did, and nothing happened._

"Did you see how that monster got destroyed?" Steph asked Tom.

"It's almost like she's protecting us."

_Protecting us_? Toshiro's eyes widened. _Of course! Ren went into that state wanting to save us, and she did just that when I was attacked just now. But why me? Why can I get further than her friends?_ Toshiro clenched his hand over the charm in his hand. _Whatever the case…_ Toshiro looked up at Ren, who was now level with the halfway point of the scaffolding covered building. _I'm the only one who can stop this! _With that, Toshiro ran forward, even though it hurt his body.

"Toshiro!"

"Wait!" Toshiro ignored their yells, and pocketing the charm, carried on running. All around him, he saw Feathers writhing and screaming in agony. One such Feather tried to attack him with a clawed hand, but he swiftly ducked underneath it and carried on running. Whatever happened, he had to get to Ren.

After what felt like forever to him, Toshiro saw the scaffolding through the light. He grabbed onto one of the bars, and he instantly felt the wind pick up speed. He knew that he had reached the centre. He looked up, and there he saw Ren's body floating up towards the sky. Immediately, Toshiro knew that he didn't have much time left. Even though his body ached, he gripped tightly onto the bars and climbed up them. Even when the wind's speed and strength increased, he never lost his grip of footing, and carried on climbing, ignoring the ringing in his ears from the storm. He stopped and looked over his shoulder at Ren. She was just a little higher up, as she had now become almost level with the top of the scaffolding, and Toshiro was only metres away. Clenching his teeth, Toshiro summoned what strength he had left and carried on climbing. Eventually, the top was in reach, and he held on as with only his determination preventing him from falling and climbed onto the wooden platform. He tried to stand up, but ended up collapsing under the force of the wind. It was now so strong that he could barely even move. He looked across to the edge he had just climbed up. Slowly, he saw Ren's body floating into view. Even in this dire situation, Toshiro couldn't help but notice how peaceful Ren looked. Almost as though she were asleep…Toshiro quickly shook this off, and proceeded to try and stand up. He held onto a bar of scaffolding behind him to support himself until he was standing on his two feet. He counted his lucky stars that the platform was small and that Ren was only two metres away.

_If I can just grab her hand…_Toshiro thought. He clenched the scaffolding behind him tightly, and with his good left arm, he reached out towards Ren. He was just out of reach, so he edged himself closer towards her. No matter what, he knew that, if he let go of the bar behind him for even a split second, he would surely die. He moved his front foot forward once again, and his fingers just scraped across Ren's hand.

_I touched her! But, this is as close I can get. I have no choice…_

"Ren!" Toshiro yelled, letting go of the scaffolding. Immediately, he lunged forward and grabbed Ren's hand. In that instant, the wind immediately stopped, and Ren's eyes opened wide with a gasp. Suddenly, the white column disappeared, but the Feathers were still in agony. Tom and Steph looked up at the scaffolding, still unable to comprehend what happened. Ren's body straightened out until her feet landed gently on the wooden platform just on the left of Toshiro.

"What happened?" Dixie moaned, sitting up, along with Sentaro.

"Dixie, look!" Sentaro pointed up at Ren. "It's…It's her!"

"No way!"

"She's awakened…" Sentaro muttered, standing up. "She's awakened!" He yelled triumphantly.

"Eh?" Toshiro looked at Ren's face. Her face was focused on the ground, and at the suffering Feathers. That was when Toshiro spotted them. There, on her forehead, were the same dots he saw during the first confrontation with Sentaro.

_As soon as you see the markings on my forehead, you will know it is me."_

_So it's her again…_ Toshiro thought.

"Let's finish her!" Dixie decided, grinning. However, Ren turned her gaze to Dixie and glared at her. Dixie flinched, and her whole body shook. In that stare, there was something she had not seen in a long time. The intent to kill.

"**Both of you. Get out of here this instant."** Ren's voice said in Dixie's and Sentaro's heads. **"If you refuse, then you will be my opponent."**

"S-Sentaro! Let's go!" Dixie yelled.

"Right!" Sentaro agreed without hesitating.

"This isn't over!" Dixie yelled, and the two of them disappeared in a flash of orange light.

"Phew." Ren sighed, closing her eyes. "It's over." She opened her eyes and looked at the feathers once again. They all gave one final scream, and they too dissolved into ashes, leaving their charms to clatter onto the ground. Ren outstretched her arm. The charms all glowed and shot towards her hand like fireworks. Several charms, at least twenty, landed in her palm, and they all turned gold. "Purified." Ren said, placing them in her front pocket. "Huh?" Ren looked down at her right hand. She noticed that someone was holding it. She lifted her head to look at the face of that person. There was Toshiro, looking straight at her.

"Hello." He said. "You saved my life last time we met."

"!" As soon as she saw his face, the strange girl gasped with wide eyes. She let go of Toshiro's hand and stood back away from him.

"What's wrong?" Toshiro asked. She said nothing, and only stared at him in shock.

"R…"

"Hm?" The girl was almost too shocked to speak, and could only utter that one sound. But, she soon managed to form it into a word. A word that would, one day, carry great meaning to Toshiro and to almost every question in his mind. A word that was about to be whispered by this strange girl in Ren's body.

"Ryuki!"

"!" Toshiro's eyes widened. Ryuki? What was Ryuki? As soon as she said this word, the dots vanished, and Ren was back to normal.

"Huh?" Ren looked left and right. "What am I doing here?" She looked at the still stunned Toshiro. "What are you doing here?" Ren looked down at the ground, and soon realised she was at the top of the scaffolding. "WAAAAAAH!" She yelled, waving her arms up and down. She clung to the scaffolding. "Why the heck am I all the way up here?" She whimpered. In one second, Ren finally figured it out. She looked at Toshiro. "I did it again, didn't I?" She asked flatly. Toshiro nodded after a moment. "Figures."

"Ren!"

"Oh?" Ren beamed a soon as she saw Tom and Steph run towards the scaffolding. "Thank god! You're okay!"

"Don't worry! We'll get you down!" Steph yelled, cupping her hands around her mouth.

"Thanks!" Ren yelled back, refusing to let go of the scaffolding.

"I've found a ladder!"

Several minutes later

"I'm glad that's over." Steph sighed as soon as Ren stepped off the ladder, Toshiro following close behind.

"You said it." Ren agreed.

"But…"

"Hm?" Ren looked over to Tom, who hesitated before continuing.

"But, I have a feeling that we may have found out something we shouldn't have."

"Yeah…I guess you did." Ren said quietly, looking down at the ground. What would she do now? Her friends had discovered something that she was trying to protect them from. She knew that there was no use in hiding it, but if she told them, then their lives would be in danger, especially if they could just see the Feathers today.

"What happened, Ren?" Steph asked, concerned.

"If I tell you, will you promise to keep it to yourselves?" Ren asked.

"Absolutely!" Tom said right away.

"I'll take it to the grave!"

"Good." Ren gave a small smile. "I'll tell you over the phone tonight. I can use three way calls. I don't want to tell you here. I hope you understand."

"Of course." Steph said, smiling.

"Tell us when you're ready."

"Thank you."

"Well…We'll talk to you tonight!" Steph said happily.

"Yup!" Ren said in an equally happy tone.

"See ya!" Steph linked her arm with Tom's and walked down the street, waving over their shoulders at Ren, who waved back.

"If you tell them you're only putting their lives in danger." Toshiro pointed out.

"I know. But, I can't act like nothing happened. They saw monsters, Shiro. Even I would have a hard time forgetting that." She turned around to face Toshiro. "I have to tell them. It's the right thing to do."

"I see…" Toshiro said, looking away from Ren. In truth, he was still shaken by what that girl said to him. Who or what was Ryuki? "Huh?" Toshiro was brought back to earth when Ren placed a hand on his head.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Ren asked, concern all over her face. "That jerk Sentaro almost crushed your skull. You could have died. And there's your arm, too. And that punch he gave you." Ren moved her hand to his forehead, checking for a temperature. "I think we should take you to the hospital."

"I told you, I'm fine." Toshiro shrugged off Ren's hand with his arm, but he had forgotten that it was still injured, and immediately clutched it as shocks of pain went through it.

"You're not fine." Ren insisted. "We need you to get medical attention. I know it's probably not serious, but it will reassure me if we go." Ren held Toshiro left hand, knowing how injured his right one was. "Please, Shiro?"

"…" Toshiro hesitated. How could he refuse Ren when she looked so concerned over him? "Fine. Let's go."

…

"See? I knew it wasn't serious!" Ren said happily as she walked out of the automatic doors leading to inside the hospital. Toshiro was with her, his head wrapped in a small headband of bandages, as was his right arm. Underneath his shirt, there were several more bandages across his chest. He thought the hospital was unnecessary, and only went to reassure Ren, but he felt relieved now that his body didn't hurt.

"Feel better now?" Toshiro asked.

"Yup!" Ren grinned. "Now, we should probably head home."

"Oh, Ren?" Toshiro said. Ren stopped walking.

"Yes?" Ren turned around to face Toshiro.

"Does…" Toshiro started, unable to believe that he was about to ask this. "Does the word 'Ryuki' mean anything to you?"

"Ryuki?" Ren repeated. "Hmmm…No, I don't know anybody called Ryuki. But, it sounds like a pun."

"A pun? On what?" Toshiro asked, though he somehow knew he would regret it.

"Weeeeeell… Ryu means dragon, and Yuki means snow, so the name means Snow Dragon, or Dragon of Snow!" Ren folded her arms and nodded, satisfied with her explanation. Toshiro, on the other hand, sweat dropped. He was right to regret asking. Ren clearly knew nothing. "Why do you ask?"

"Nothing." Toshiro lied. "Forget it."

_Now there are even more questions that need to be answered._ Toshiro thought.

**So, there you have it. Now, there are even more questions to be answered. Who is the girl who takes over Ren? Why did she call Toshiro Ryuki? Who are Dixie and Sentaro? What is their motive for wanting Ren and Toshiro dead? All this and more will soon be answered…but not in the next chapter! Sorry, guys! You're gonna have to stay tuned for later chapters if you wanna find out! Hee hee!**


	8. An Ally Appears

**Hiya guys! How is life treating you all? My life is treating me well! By the way, thank you to Pinkie111 for the great review. It's great to know that the people reading this story are actually enjoying it. Thanks a lot! *hug* But you'll have to keep your eyes open for what you want. Hee hee!**

Chapter 6

An Ally Appears

"So that's the story." Ren finished, phone on her ear. Back in Ren's study, Ren was walking from one side to the other while talking down on the phone and Toshiro was sat on the sofa. "Now, I know that you think it's hard to believe, but it happened. I mean, you did see them this afternoon. Y...Yes he's fine now. But, what do you two think? ... You believe me? That's...well, I don't know what it is, but right now I feel pretty happy. But, this might put you in danger, so if I tell you to run, then run, and take any other witnesses with you. Okay? ... Great. Thanks, you two. I'm lucky to have you as friends. Yeah, see you on Monday. Bye." Ren hung up the phone, placing the wireless phone in its hub.

"Well?"

"They believe me. After seeing that, who wouldn't?" Ren played with some of hair around her face by twirling it around her finger. "And with Pixie showing up..."

"Dixie." Toshiro corrected.

"Whatever. With Dixie showing up, something tells me that things are going to get a lot more violent. More and more lives are going to be put in danger. So, right now, I feel grateful that I've got a few more allies on my side that can help when things get dangerous."

"They'll be in danger, too."

"Not if I can help it." Ren said with confidence. "But, I do want to know why they're so interested in us. Could it be because we can see the Feathers?"

"Maybe..." Toshiro said dismissively.

"Huh? Do you know something else, Shiro?" Ren asked. Toshiro didn't answer.

"_Ryuki!"_

"Shiro?"

"Nothing." Toshiro lied. He shouldn't tell Ren about what she...the other her...whatever said to him.

"Well, whatever. How are you feeling? Do you hurt anywhere?"

"None of your business."

"It is my business. You got hurt, and I'm worried about you." Ren knelt down to eye level with Toshiro, though Ren didn't look at Toshiro's eyes. Instead, she looked at the bandages wrapped around his head. "If a friend got hurt, then I just wouldn't feel right until they are okay again. So, please, let me worry about you."

"..." Toshiro looked away. Remembering what Steph said, Toshiro wondered if this was part of Ren's complex personality, or maybe how she cherishes the friends she has. He didn't know. But, he knew that he had to figure a lot about Ren out as well as this business with the Feathers.

"I should ask the same of you."

"Eh?"

"Didn't you get hurt in your fight?"

"Nope!" Ren said cheerfully, standing up. "I'm tougher than I look!"

"Uh huh."

"Oh, that's right!"

"Huh?"

"Take a look at this." Ren reached into her handbag and produced a blue scarf, which she presented to Toshiro.

"Where did you get this"? Toshiro asked, taking it from her hands.

"I stole it from Pixie when fighting her. She didn't seem to notice. Look at that end." Ren tugged on the scarf on Toshiro's right. Toshiro grabbed that end and looked at it. On that end, there was a strange symbol. "I think that's the symbol for their organisation."

"Probably. But, what is it?" Toshiro looked closely at the symbol. It was white in colour, and there were patterns of swirls and lines, almost like a Celtic symbol. But, upon closer inspection, Toshiro saw that these swirls and lines made a shape. This shape looked like a bird in flight, with the wings curling down, where the tips met at the bottom and top to make a circle while the body became the centre of the circle, and the head was looking to its left. "A bird?"

"That's what I thought." Ren produced one of the gold charms and placed it in her palm. "I think that's why these monsters are called Feathers. They're like the main tool in the organisation. After all, without wings, a bird cannot fly. Then, the main body are people like Sentaro, and the head..."

"Must be their leader." Toshiro finished.

"Exactly."

"But, how do they know who we are?" Toshiro wondered, standing up.

"And they say I'm just like someone. Who, I'm not sure. And what about these fits of amnesia I keep having? Uuuu, this is making my head hurt."

"Toshiro! Ren! Dinner time!"

"Coming, Mom." Ren walked away from Toshiro and out the study, but on her way out, she knocked over a cardboard box on the shelf.

"Geez..." Toshiro sighed, proceeding to kneel down on the ground and place the objects back in. He then noticed that there were several photos in it. Photos of Ren all through her childhood. Ren as a toddler. Ren in a school play. There were even several photos of Ren dressed up in formal wear. Toshiro couldn't help but think of how beautiful Ren looked a ball gown. But, he placed them back in the box, thinking how this box had Ren's entire life in it. Just as Toshiro moved to the last object, he stopped for a moment. It was a book facing down. Curious, Toshiro picked it up to look at the face. It was titled _Women from another Planet?_

_What's this?_ Toshiro thought. He peeked inside the box. He had unknowingly piled in several books, each one about different phases in life, from primary school to secondary school, and even some about university, even though Ren was only applying for it right now. Before he could look at the book in his hands again, he heard footsteps coming. Quickly, he threw the book in the box and picked it up, just as Ren walked in.

"Aren't you coming, Shiro?" Ren asked.

"Um, yeah. You...You knocked this over." Toshiro explained. After this, Ren's eyes widened a little, but before Toshiro could react to Ren's behaviour, Ren took the box out of his hands.

"Let me help." Ren stood on a small chair and placed the box on the highest book shelf out of reach. "Say, you didn't..."

"Yeah?"

"You didn't...see anything strange did you?" Ren asked, jumping down from the chair.

"No. Nothing." Toshiro insisted, shaking his head.

"..." Ren smiled, but it wasn't her usual happy smile. It was a type of smile that would create suspicion in anybody. And that's exactly what Toshiro was feeling in that very instant. "Well, better get some grub. It's bolognaise tonight. Yummy!"

...

"Night, Shiro!"

"Yeah." Toshiro walked into a room, shutting the door behind him. He was in the spare room of the house. The walls were blue and it had a small wardrobe, a chest of drawers, a desk and a single bed, and in the middle of it was a blue and white stripped rug. Toshiro proceeded to sit behind this desk, resting his head in his hand.

_That box has something in it that Ren doesn't want me to find out about._ Toshiro thought. _Maybe it has something to do with what her friend told me. What was her name? Oh, Stephanie. Maybe this has something to do with Ren saying "It's complicated"? I know I have no right to pry, but I just have to know. But, she placed the box out of reach. What was in there? What's in there that Ren doesn't want me to find out about?_ Toshiro slid a piece of paper in front of him, grabbed a pen and wrote down the title of the book before he could forget it.

"'Women from another Planet?' eh?" Toshiro said to nobody. He then proceeded to tie the blue scarf that Ren obtained on the handle of a drawer in the desk. His eyes couldn't go away from the mysterious symbol on the scarf. "Just what is that logo?"

"I can answer that."

"!" Toshiro's eyes widened at the voice. "Who's there?" Toshiro called out. No answer. Just as a precaution, Toshiro made sure the wooden sword was in reach. It was leaning on the wall just below the window behind him. Just in reaching distance. "I know you're here."

"Look over to your left."

"Eh?" Toshiro obeyed, and there sitting on his bed was a ghostly girl. A girl who looked just like Ren, and was wearing the same clothes as her too. "UWAAAAHH!" Toshiro yelled, staggering back, tripping over the rug and falling on the floor.

"Oh. Sorry to startle you." The girl said. Quickly, Toshiro grabbed the wooden sword and pointed it at the girl.

"Who are you?" Toshiro demanded, still a little spooked about there being a ghost in his room.

"I'm not your enemy." She said.

"Wait, while you're at it, tell me why you look like Ren." The girl was silent. She stood up and walked towards Toshiro. "Stay away." Toshiro crawled back away from her until his back hit the desk, leaving him nowhere to go. The girl got down on one knee in front of Toshiro.

"I take it you're Toshiro, correct?" She asked.

"Um...yes?"

"I see. I apologise for how I acted earlier today."

"You mean when you called me Ryuki?" Toshiro asked, but he did not lower his sword.

"Yes. I mistook you for somebody else I knew. I'm sorry."

"Whatever. But you still haven't answered my question."

"Lower your sword." The girl calmly said. "You won't be able to hurt me with it. I am merely a spirit." Toshiro hesitated for a moment, but he complied and placed it on the ground. "Thank you."

"So? Aren't you going to tell me?"

"Oh. About the symbol." The girl looked at the scarf. She stared at the symbol for several seconds, and she frowned. "As I thought. They have returned."

"Who?" Toshiro asked suspiciously. She turned back to Toshiro.

"White Raven."

"White Raven?" Toshiro repeated. "What is that?"

"An evil organisation. It is an organisation that has existed for nearly twenty years. Two years after it was founded, they attacked the land I came from and the fate of my home..."

"What is it?"

"Its fate is unknown. I don't know whether it is destroyed or if it still exists. More importantly, I don't know why I am here on Earth."

"You don't remember?" She shook her head.

"I suspect I am able to take over Ren temporarily due to how we look similar, but she has no memory of anything I do, and I only take over when her emotions are strong enough. I can only appear like this and talk to you because I have awakened today."

"So that's what Sentaro meant when he said you had awakened." Toshiro realised. "But, are you really that dangerous?"

"I guess you could say that." She said with a small smile. "I don't know why Ren looks like me. All I know is that I am acting through her. And, I am the strongest ally you can have."

"What will happen to Ren? Does your awakening affect her?"

"Yes." She nodded. "As soon as she turned eighteen, she was able to see and sense the Feathers. But, she soon used the same powers as I unintentionally."

_Like her manipulation of the headmaster and reading my mind..._Toshiro thought.

"Now that I am awakened, her powers will grow stronger, and she won't forget about using them like she has done recently. Before long, she will have exact replicas of the powers I have."

"Why?" Toshiro asked.

"I don't know."

"How...How do you know so much? Who exactly are you?"

"I can't say. Not yet. I'm sorry."

"Damn." Toshiro cursed. "Wait a minute, how can you talk to me? Shouldn't you be inside Ren or something?"

"My spirit exists in the necklace Ren wears around her neck."

"What necklace? I never saw her wear any-" Toshiro stopped himself from finishing his sentence as he remembered. He had never noticed before, but Ren was always wearing a simple necklace. A thin, silver chain, with a small amber coloured stone shaped like a teardrop.

"That gem is the mark of my people. I don't know how she got it, but that is how I am acting through her...And it is how I can talk to you."

"So talk to Ren." Toshiro said, standing up after realising he had been on the ground this whole time. "She needs to know this."

"Yes, she does, but I can't."

"Why?"

"If she knows of my existence through her, the consequences could be great."

"She already knows she is the possible reincarnation of you."

"But if I tell her about how I exist, then I'll never be able to obtain a physical body."

"Is...Is that possible?"

"It is. At least, I hope it is. I can only protect you and Ren by taking over her body, but even then, my powers are weakened slightly. I want her powers to develop so that I may get stronger too, but each time her powers grow, White Raven knows about it. We should be lucky that they aren't killing her yet. But, they are after you too. We must be careful."

"No kidding. I almost got killed today."

"I saw, yes."

"What do they want? This White Raven or whatever they're called. Why are they doing this?"

"I don't know what their motivation is. There's lots of information I cannot tell you right now, and lots of information I wish I knew, too."

"But why?" Toshiro asked, growing frustrated. "Why can't you tell me?" The girl only looked away, refusing to answer. "Tch. Whatever. Most of what I want to know is answered for now. I suppose I should be grateful."

"..." The girl smiled. "Yes, you're definitely just like him."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Nothing." She shook her head. She turned away and began to walk away. "I must go now. And, please, don't tell Ren about me."

"Wait!" Toshiro almost yelled. The girl stopped. "I know you can't reveal much to me, but...at least tell me your name." There was a silence.

"Zena."

"Eh?" Toshiro blinked.

"My name is Zena." With that, Zena disappeared. Toshiro was alone.

"What was that about?" Toshiro asked nobody, still not quite sure if what happened really took place. But, he couldn't deny that what she had told him may have been held back, but it was valuable information that Ren and Toshiro needed. But what was she hiding from him? And why?

_So, the organisation is called White Rave, they have existed for twenty years, and they are after me and Ren._ Toshiro thought, summing up what he now knew. _This girl who looks like Ren is named Zena, and she takes over her body temporarily and Ren has no memory of this happening. And, because of her awakening today, Ren will now develop the exact same powers as her. Plus, I look like somebody she knew. She doesn't know why Ren looks like her, and she doesn't know why she is here or what happened to her home world._

"A spirit who has amnesia. As if this couldn't get crazier."

Meanwhile, on the edge of the village, the fields of long grass blew in the cold winter breeze. There was not a soul in sight. But, that soon changed as a glowing white portal appeared in the air. Out stepped a person. A person with a long sword on their back and short hair. The white portal closed behind them. Silence. This person looked left and right at the new surroundings, and their eyes fell on the village.

"Over there." The person said, talking in a voice that was on the edge of adulthood. That said, he walked towards the village in the dead of night, with nobody around to see them.

...

"Um...Shiro?" Ren said nervously, opening the door to Toshiro's room.

"Yes? What is it?" He asked, fastening the final button on his black shirt.

"Um...I'm not sure if this is any concern but...I just trashed my room with a sneeze. And then, I thought to myself "Why can't rooms clean themselves?", and...And it did."

"..." Toshiro said nothing, trying to comprehend what Ren just said.

"Well? What do you think?" Ren asked.

"You're joking, right?" He said flatly.

"No!" Ren whined. "This really, really happened!"

"_Now that I am awakened, her powers will grow stronger, and she won't forget about using them like she has done recently. Before long, she will have exact replicas of the powers I have."_

_It's just like what Zena said._ Toshiro thought. _Ren is getting powers. And she remembers what happens when she uses them._

"Is it a bad thing?" Ren asked.

"No." Toshiro shook his head. "Just don't worry about it, alright?"

_But, does this mean that the White Raven will attack us again?_

"Heeeeeeeyy! Anybody home?"

"AH!" Toshiro and Ren were suddenly startled by a loud voice.

"What the... Who is that?" Ren exclaimed. Ren stomped towards the window and opened it. "We don't go to church!" She yelled out of it.

"Ren!" Toshiro pulled Ren away from the window. "That's not something you should broadcast to everyone."

"Why not?" Ren asked, wearing her usual innocent expression. "We don't."

"But you can't yell it out for the whole world to hear."

"I don't get it."

"What's to understand? You should know what can and can't be said!"

"It's complicated."

"Never mind." Toshiro gave up, knowing he was not going to win this argument. Besides, he was given another clue just then. Immediately, he took note of it.

"By the way, there's a carrot top down there."

"Carrot top?"

"Yeah. Orange hair."

"Orange hair?" His eyes widened. "Wait. Don't tell me." It was Toshiro's turn to stick his head out of the window.

"Shiro?"

"KUROSAKIIIIII!" Toshiro yelled.

"Oh, I found you. I couldn't find your spiritual pressure anywhere, so I had to go door to door." Sure enough, standing there just below the window to Toshiro's room, was Ichigo Kurosaki, already inside his human body which still had his winter school uniform on.

"Of course you can't! We don't exist here!"

"What do you mean, Toshiro?"

"That's Captain Hitsugaya to you!" Toshiro yelled angrily, a vein throbbing on his head.

"Easy, Shiro." Ren said, patting his shoulder and pulling him away. Several seconds later, she stuck her head out of the window to look at Ichigo. "Um...We'll be down in a moment to let you in! My mom's out right now, so no worries! We'll explain everything!"

...

"So you're telling me she can see the Hollows?" Ichigo asked. Toshiro and Ichigo were sat face to face in the conservatory of Ren's house on a wooden table seating four people. Ren was in the other room making tea while Toshiro briefed Ichigo on the situation.

"They're not Hollows. They're called Feathers. And yes, she can see them."

"And now that you're in a Gigai, you're powerless."

"Yes." Toshiro nodded, wincing a little on the inside after saying this. "But since you're in your human body, you have to stay like that until I figure out a way to get our powers back."

"Damn..." Ichigo cursed, resting his head on his hand.

"Also..."

"Hm?"

"She is the only one who can fight the Feathers. I can use Kido when we are in contact, but that's it."

"In other words, I'm only adding to the burden." Ichigo concluded.

"I wouldn't say you were a burden." Ren said, entering the conservatory with a mug of tea. "You're an ally, and I'd say we need one right now. Here you go." Ren placed the mug in front of Ichigo, who muttered thanks before taking a swig. But, as soon as he did, he spat it out right into Toshiro's face.

"What the hell, Ichigo?" Toshiro exclaimed.

"What is this?" Ichigo spluttered.

"Tea." Ren answered simply.

"This is not tea!"

"It is here. Oh!" Ren placed a fist on her palm. "You mean Japanese tea, right?"

"Yeah."

"Sorry. Don't have any."

"What? Why?"

"Trust me; my parents wouldn't touch Japanese stuff with a ten foot barge pole."

"Can you stomach this stuff, Toshiro?" Ichigo asked, waving the mug at him.

"I've become used to the taste. Ren, however, refuses to even touch a drop." Toshiro narrowed his eyes at Ren. "Isn't that right?"

"Hey, it's not my fault. I can't stand strong flavours."

"Let me guess; it's complicated, right?"

"Yeah!" Ren said happily. Toshiro groaned. "Anyway, aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?"

"Sorry. Ren, this is Ichigo Kurosaki, substitute Soul Reaper."

"Oh, so this is part one of Kurotake!"

"Kuro-what?" Ichigo repeated, confused.

"It's this thing she has." Toshiro explained quickly.

"Hey, doesn't Ichigo mean strawberry?" Ren asked.

"Yeah. I get that a lot."

"Wait a sec...How old are you?"

"Fifteen."

"Aha!" Ren yelled, snapping her fingers. "Ichigo is also one and five! Ha-ha! Your name is your age!"

"I get that a lot too." Ichigo sighed. "Is she always like this?" Ichigo whispered to Toshiro, who nodded.

"So did Soul Society send you here, too?" Ren asked, handing Toshiro a towel, which he took and wiped his face with it.

"Yeah. They didn't hear anything from Toshiro, but I wasn't told that Soul Reapers didn't exist here. They thought the worst, so they sent me just in case."

"Well I can assure you that you came at a good time. The more people we have on our side, the better." Ren smiled happily at Ichigo. "Welcome to the group."

"Yeah. Thanks."

"Oh, where are you staying?" Ren asked.

"Staying? Um...I don't know. I got here last night."

"I'm sure that Ren can-"

"Shiro, a word." Ren grumbled, dragging Toshiro out of the room while ignoring his protests. Ichigo was left alone, although he could still hear the entire conversation, despite it being rather muffled.

"There's no way I can let him stay."

"I'm here, aren't I?"

"Yes, but only because that weird magic kicked in, and there's not a chance in hell I can make that happen again."

"You destroyed your room this morning. I'm sure you can fiddle with everyone's memories again."

"Luck can only go so far, Shiro."

"Didn't you say you have good luck?"

"I just say that to feel more confident. I don't even remember how I did it."

"Ever heard of trial and error?"

"Yeah, but lying to the head could get me kicked out!"

"You had no problem with lying last time."

"Yeah! That was with one person! One person I can handle, but two? You're dreaming."

"Just try it."

"You're actually okay with me lying?"

"Yes, I'm okay with it!"

"But what do I say?"

"Just say he's my brother or something. Thank god he isn't."

"..." A vein throbbed on Ichigo's head after hearing this.

"Fine! I'll do it! Happy?"

"Yes."

"Well, I'm not. I'm telling you, it won't work."

The next day

"Wow..." Ren said, dumbfounded. She was stood outside the office of Mr Watson once again, holding a brown envelope, with Ichigo standing next to her, wearing his usual uniform minus the jacket. "I can't believe that worked."

"Do you remember what you said?" Toshiro asked, leaning on a doorframe with his arms folded. He was certain that Ren had used that strange magic again. Even if nobody else could hear the high pitched noise, Toshiro was the only one who could, and that was exactly what he heard while she was talking to the headmaster.

"Oddly enough, yes."

_It happened again._ Toshiro thought. _Zena wasn't bluffing when she said Ren would get her powers. But, how strong is she going to get?_

"In there is your timetable, registration and student card." Ren said, handing Ichigo the brown envelope. "You came here in uniform, so I guess you're fine. Do you have a tie?"

"Um...somewhere." Ichigo said, feeling his pockets.

"Good. You'll need it later. If you don't wear correct uniform, you could get detention, but I told him you were my foster brother, so you can wear your old uniform. For now, that is. So, hang on to it just in case."

"Thanks, Ren."

"No problem!" Ren grinned happily. "Just doing what I can to help."

"You got a nice girlfriend here, Toshiro." Ichigo teased, grinning.

"Wha-" Toshiro did a double take from Ichigo's statement, blushing.

"Huh?" Ren exclaimed, also blushing.

"She's not my girlfriend!"

"I'm not his girlfriend!"

"Yeah, sure."

"..." Toshiro and Ren looked at each other.

"Oh. You're blushing."

"So are you!" Toshiro exclaimed, turning around so that Ren could only see his back.

"Uuuu! I don't know how to deal with this!"

"You're so fun to tease."

"And you're a jerk!" Ren retorted, glaring at Ichigo.

"Keep it down out there!" Mr Watson's voice yelled.

"Sorry, sir!" Ren shouted back. She quickly walked away from the door and grabbed Toshiro's arm. "C'mon. Let's go. Ichigo, you're coming, too."

"Wait a sec..." Toshiro started.

"What?"

"How come he doesn't have a nickname?"

"Because his name is easy to remember."

"And mine isn't?" Toshiro grumbled.

"Nah." Ren shook her head.

"Hold on." Toshiro stopped walking, shrugging his arm out of Ren's grip. He counted himself lucky that she didn't grab his right arm; she had a grip like a vice.

"Shiro?" Ren looked over her shoulder.

"I get the feeling that we're being watched." Toshiro said in a hushed voice.

"Yeah." Ren's eyes narrowed a little. She walked past Toshiro and opened a door that lead outside. She stepped outside into the quad area outside the common room of the sixth formers. Ren looked at her watch. "It's just a little before three o'clock."

"So? Is anybody there?" Toshiro asked, stepping outside, followed by a confused Ichigo.

"No. I don't see anybody."

"Why here? Why now?"

"Who knows? Besides, most of the students and teachers are in lessons, except for some sixth formers. They get free periods. The common room is just over there. We need to make sure they're okay, just in case."

"I'll go." Ichigo said, and broke into a run towards the building.

"Wait!" Ren blocked Ichigo's path with her arm. "I'll go."

"Why can't I go?" Ichigo almost demanded.

"If someone other than a sixth former enters the common room, you'll get hardback books thrown at your head." She said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Is that so?" Ichigo muttered, sweat dropping.

"Look..." Toshiro started, joining Ren by her side. "You and Ren can stay out here and keep your eyes open for Sentaro or any Feathers. I'll check on the other students."

"Who's Sentaro?" Ichigo asked.

"Ren..." Toshiro narrowed his eyes at Ren.

"Eh heh heh heh." She laughed while refusing to look at Toshiro. "I thought you told him."

"I only told him about our situation."

"Sentaro is part of the situation. And so is Pixie."

"Her name is Dixie."

"Whatever! Anyway, you can't protect those students. You're still injured."

"This is nothing."

"I'm still worried. How about I check on the students, and you and Ichigo stay here just in case Sentaro and Pixie show up?"

"Fine. Do whatever you want. And it's Dixie."

"Funny you should be fussy about names, Shiro. Remind me, how long was it until you called me by name?"

"Um..." Ichigo said, trying to stop the two of them from arguing. "Guys..."

"Just go." Toshiro all but ordered, pointing towards the common room.

"Alright, alright. Keep our hair on." Ren said, bringing her hands up, and keeping them up, turned around and walked towards the common room. "If anyone shows up, let me know!"

"So...have you got a plan now?" Ichigo asked.

"Yes." Toshiro sighed. That argument with Ren had left him ready to just throw back his head and scream.

"Who are the enemies?"

"One is a man named Sentaro. He's usually wearing a cloak, and his physical strength is equal to Zaraki. The other is named Pixie...I mean, Dixie." Toshiro quickly corrected himself. "Dammit, Ren! Now you got me doing it!" He yelled. His response was loud laughter from Ren inside the common room. Now, Toshiro was ready to just grab a gun and shoot himself in the head. Ren knew just how to get to him, even if it was unintentional.

"Easy, Toshiro."

"How many times do I have to tell you?" Toshiro said closing his eyes in order to control his temper. "You are to address me as Captain Hitsu-"

_Ba-bump!_

"!" Toshiro's eyes opened wide. He suddenly got a huge pounding in his head that made him dizzy, and his legs threatened to buckle underneath him at any moment.

"Toshiro?" Ichigo said. In that instant, the headache was gone, and Toshiro regained the feeling in his body.

"Nothing." Toshiro shook his head, although he was still in a daze.

"There's nobody in here!" Ren yelled, peering around the doorframe of the common room. "I checked the computer suites, too!"

"So we don't have to worry about protecting anybody in there." Toshiro concluded.

"What about the rest of the school?"

"Ah, that's right!" Ren gasped, walking back to the boys. "The rest of the school are still in lessons, and school ends in..." Ren checked her watch again. "About half an hour. I say we go somewhere else. Somewhere nobody can get hurt. What do you think, Shiro?" Ren looked over to Toshiro for approval. "Hm?"

"..." Toshiro again received the overpowering dizziness in his mind, and he walked one step backwards so that he didn't collapse.

"Shiro? Are you alright?" Ren asked.

"I'm...I'm fine." Toshiro asked, straightening up while praying that the dizziness would stop for one minute. It became less intense, but it was still there. He didn't know why he was feeling like this, but it was not what he needed right now.

"Good. We need to...eh?"

"What's up, Ichigo?" Ren asked.

"I thought I heard something. Like...footsteps."

_Clink!_

Ichigo heard another clink beside his feet. He looked down at the source. It was a silver charm shaped like a feather. "A feather?"

"!" Toshiro and Ren both sharply turned to Ichigo.

"What's that doing here?" Ichigo bent down to pick it up.

"Don't touch it!" Toshiro and Ren yelled at the same time.

"Huh?"

"Back away, back away, back away." Ren said over and over again, dragging Ichigo away from it by his collar.

"Ow! Ren! Wh-What are you doing?"

"Listen, Ichigo." Toshiro said as soon as Ren was back to his side. "That scrap of metal is the core of the Feathers. Defeat the Feather, and the core is released, but unless they are purified by Ren's touch, then the Feather will keep coming back."

"R...Right."

"Sorry. I should have told you." Ren apologised.

"You mean you didn't tell him?" Toshiro exclaimed.

"No. I didn't know about the purifying thing. And, again, I thought you explained it to Ichigo." Ren folded her arms. "I thought captains were meant to be organised."

"That has nothing to do with it." Toshiro said in retaliation. He really did not want to go through another argument at this time, especially considering his headache refused to go away. Not only that, but for some reason, he felt cold.

"Shiro, are you sure you're okay?" Ren asked.

"Fine. Why do you ask?"

"You're shivering." Ren shrugged. "Makes sense, seeing as it's still winter and all. Where's your blazer?"

"I'm fine." Toshiro insisted, and he wasn't lying. He was starting to feel a little better, and he wasn't cold anymore. But, he still had the headache.

"I dunno. I read that shivering is the first sign of a fever."

"That doesn't make sense." Ichigo protested.

"I know, but that's the way it is."

"..." Ichigo sighed, folding his arms. Unknowingly to either of them, the charm on the ground glowed white and turned into a Feather. This Feather's body was black with yellow zigzag like stripes, and the eye mask looked like two bolts covering either eye, yet its eyes had a look that was blanker than a white piece of paper. The feet appeared to have white markings on them so that it looked like it was wearing boots. But, even though Ichigo was pretty much staring right at it, he could not see the Feather. Likewise, Ren and Toshiro hadn't even noticed the charm had transformed.

"Do you have a headache or anything like that?" Ren asked.

"A little, but it's nothing." Toshiro said dismissively.

"It's not nothing." Ren looked to Ichigo. "Hey, back me up here!" Ren exclaimed, tapping Ichigo on his shoulder while never taking her eyes away from Toshiro.

"!" As soon as Ren touched him, Ichigo suddenly saw before him the Feather. His first immediate thought was how similar it was to the Hollows he fought back in Karakura Town, except these monsters were much more vicious. But, his second thought was that he had to let Toshiro and Ren know. And fast.

"Um...guys?" Ichigo started, never taking his eyes away from the snarling Feather.

"I told you I'm...uuh..." Toshiro couldn't finish his sentence. His headache was now even stronger, and he was only still standing because of his willpower to not faint.

"Shiro? What's wrong?" Ren asked, close to panicking. Toshiro couldn't respond. To him, Ren's voice sounded like five Ren's talking at different times.

"It...It's my head...I..." Toshiro managed to utter, clutching at his head with his hands. Underneath his palms, he could feel that his forehead was getting hot.

"Guys..." Ichigo said again. "You really need to look at this."

"For crying out loud, what is it?" Ren snapped impatiently. She was silent as soon as she looked at the Feather. "Oh...I see...Thanks for telling us, Ichigo."

"Sure. No problem." Ichigo said with a tone of fear in his voice.

"Shiro, do you think you can move?" Ren asked, moving her attention back to Toshiro. Again, Ren's voice sounded like different Ren's talking at him. Too exhausted to even talk, Toshiro nodded. "Alright. Ichigo, I'm not fighting yet. Helping Shiro is my top priority."

"I'll help you. I'm sorry I can't fight at full strength, but if I had Zangetsu, I could take care of this Feather myself."

"Well, you don't." Ren said bluntly. "Let's go, Shiro." Ren grasped Toshiro's hand.

_Ba-bump!_

"!" With that contact with Ren, Toshiro's headache increased, and the dizziness was much more overpowering. He just couldn't stay awake any longer. With only the sound of Ren's panicked voice being heard, Toshiro slipped into unconsciousness, and knew no more.

**Dun dun duuuuuunn! A cliff-hanger! Oh, aren't I evil? Next time, Ichigo and Ren try everything they can to protect Toshiro. Or, is it Toshiro who ends up protecting them? Find out next time, only here in Fate and Destiny!**


	9. Shackles

**Thank you for waiting for the next update! Just as a reminder of what happened last time, Ichigo has joined the fight, the girl who takes over Ren reveals herself as Zena, and Toshiro has been getting unusual headaches before he collapsed. And a Feather has shown up at the worst possible time! What will Ren and Ichigo do?**

Chapter 7

Shackles

"Shiro!" Ren gasped, grabbing Toshiro's body as soon as it began to fall. Ren slid onto her knees from the weight of Toshiro's body. "Shiro, wake up! Shiro!" Remembering how Toshiro might have a fever, Ren moved a hand to his head. Even though she wasn't touching his head, she felt the heat from it when her hand was just inches from his forehead. Looking at his face, Ren saw that Toshiro was clearly unconscious, his face was flushed and he was breathing heavily. "Ichigo! Shiro's got a fever!"

"What? Now? But one of these things has just appeared!"

"Forget about that Feather for now!" Ren said firmly. She decided that Toshiro had to be moved to a safer place. The Feather would have to wait. Besides, it just wasn't in her nature to abandon a friend. "Only three things matter right now; Shiro, Shiro and Shiro!"

"Huh?" Ichigo said, confused.

"Three things, Ichigo! Helping Shiro, protecting Shiro, and getting Shiro the hell out of here!" Ren saw behind her a cart belonging to the caretaker. It had several tools inside it, including axes and garden rakes. Surely, one of them could be used as a weapon. "Grab something from there! I'll carry Shiro."

"Right." Ichigo nodded, quickly running to the cart. Ren looked back at the Feather. It hadn't even reacted. Ren wondered whether the Feather was blind. If so, then that would explain the blanker look in its eyes. Still thinking about this, Ren proceeded to move Toshiro behind her, pulled his arms on her shoulders, and stood up so that she was carrying Toshiro on her back.

"Man, he's light." She muttered to herself. "Ichigo, you ready?"

"Just a second…How's a crowbar?" Ichigo asked.

"That'll do for now."

"Don't you have any swords?"

"You need a licence for one of them. A licence that I don't have." Ren turned back to the Feather, who was still staring at her blankly.

"What's wrong?"

"I just…I just have a bad feeling about that Feather. It hasn't moved or anything." Ren looked back to Ichigo, who was now holding a large crow bar. "Anywho, we need to get moving. I've kinda got my hands full, so you'll have to block any attacks. All I can do is dodging. Okay?"

"Fine."

"Okay. Let's go!" As soon as Ren said this, the Feather growled. It pounced forward and landed in front of Ren.

"Damn…" Ichigo cursed, clutching the crowbar.

_It moved…_ Ren thought. _But, why now? Unless… _Ren narrowed her eyes at the Feather. _Unless it really is blind. Maybe, it's relying on sound to attack._ Ren glanced down on the ground at a black and white round football left behind by one of the sixth formers. She felt an idea come to mind. Ren kicked the ball to the left, where it hit a drain pipe so hard, it snapped. The Feather heard the snap, and turned its head towards it. Ren looked to Ichigo and pointed at the exit with her head. It was in the black gate surrounding the school, and the entrance was wide open. Quietly, Ren slowly walked around the Feather, and still kept it up when she was behind the Feather.

"What are you doing?" Ichigo whispered, following Ren.

"That Feather is blind. It uses sound to track our movements, so we're getting out of here while it's distracted."

"Where do we go?"

"It's gotta be somewhere nobody can get hurt, just in case anything happens. I got it! The lido!"

"An open air pool?"

"Yeah. It's not open in winter. And it's on the edge of town. About ten minutes away. It's perfect!"

"Alright." Ichigo agreed. "Just lead the way." At this point, Ichigo and Ren were already outside the gate. They turned around and looked back at the Feather. It was still staring at the drain pipe the football broke.

"Better shut the gate." Ichigo nodded. He pushed the gate towards the latch. However, just before it hit the latch, it let out a loud creaking noise. Ren grimaced at the sound. The Feather immediately turned towards the sound, growled, and jumped high into the air. After several seconds, it landed on all fours in front of Ren and Ichigo, making them stagger backwards away from it.

"Oh…" Ichigo started.

"Crappers." Ren finished. "What do we do?" Ren asked Ichigo.

"You fought these things! You should know!"

"There are limits to what I know!"

"Then you take care of it!"

"How can I fight, dumbass? I'm giving somebody a frikkin' piggy back ride, for crying out loud!" As Ichigo and Ren argued, the Feather's eyes glowed yellow, and two bullets of yellow light shot out. Immediately, Ichigo jumped in front of Ren, and with a huge swing of the crowbar, hit them back to the Feather, which ducked down.

"Let's just keep moving. Which way?" Ichigo asked, ignoring his smoking crowbar.

"This way." Ren ran down the street to her right, Ichigo following close behind. The Feather heard their footsteps, and proceeded to chase them.

"It's following us!" Ichigo yelled, looking over his shoulder at the Feather.

"For an emotionless monster it sure is persistent!" Ren exclaimed. An idea came to her head in that instant. "Ichigo, hit that dumpster." Ren indicated a metal dumpster on their right just coming into view. "That'll keep it busy.

"Right!" Ichigo hit the dumpster with the crowbar so hard, it dented. A large, metallic boom rang out, prompting the Feather to skid to a stop by the dumpster. Ichigo and Ren stopped running, staring at the Feather.

"Okay…slowly walk." Ichigo and Ren turned around and slowly walked away from the Feather. It didn't react. "Walk…Walk…Walk…" After a couple of minutes, Ichigo and Ren turned the corner, and the Feather was several metres away. Definitely not in hearing distance. "Okay, now run!" Ichigo and Ren broke off into a run once again. The Feather didn't even react. In that moment, Dixie teleported in a flash of yellow light beside the Feather.

"You fool!" Dixie yelled at the Feather. "They're getting away!" The Feather turned its head to Dixie. "Why did I have to have the damn blind one?" Dixie cursed to herself. "Go after them! They went right! Oh, you don't know directions. Argh! Follow my footsteps!" Dixie jumped up onto a building in one leap and ran alongside them, the Feather following her.

_I'm going to make sure that they don't live._ Dixie thought, grinning to herself. _Especially that girl._

…

"Okay…Which way?" Ren muttered to herself, staring at a fork of three roads, while Ichigo stood impatiently behind her.

"Would you hurry up and pick one?"

"Don't rush me! I'm trying to remember! It's been a while, alright? Now, the middle one leads to the town centre…or was that the road on the right?"

"You grew up here, and you don't know which way to go?" Ichigo exclaimed.

"Well, excuse me for having no sense of direction!" Ren yelled. "Ah, screw it. I'll just follow my instincts. Um…left!"

"Mine say right."

"MY instincts, Ichigo. Not yours."

"How about we split up and-"

"Still got Shiro on my back." Ren reminded Ichigo.

"How is he?" Ichigo asked.

"I dunno." Ren looked behind her at Toshiro, whose head was resting on her shoulder. "He still looks like he has a fever. Could you check?" Ichigo placed a hand on Toshiro's forehead.

"He feels really warm. And he still hasn't woken up."

"We'll check on him again when we get there. For now, let's go." Ren trotted down the path on her right. Grumbling about how indecisive Ren can be, Ichigo followed her.

"Um…shouldn't we be going a little faster?" Ichigo asked.

"Come on, Ichigo. We've got a huge lead on that Feather. Considering the fact that it's blind, we'll be fine as long as we're real quiet." Ren said dismissively.

"But still…"

"Hm?" Ren looked at Ichigo over her shoulder as they walked.

"Where is everybody?"

"Yeah, you're right." Ren looked left and right. The shops were open. Cars were parked. Yet, there was not a single human being in sight. Ren could even faintly hear music playing in the shops. "Ichigo, what does your watch say?"

"Ten past three." Ichigo answered.

"So it's not a time stop." Ren concluded. "Could these guys be using some kind of magic that takes humans away from here?"

"I thought they wanted the humans dead."

"Yeah. Before I met Shiro, the Feathers showed up out of nowhere in crowded places, and then they'd disappear after a couple seconds. Now, nobody seems to be around when we have confrontations like this." Ren's eyes stared blankly ahead of her as she thought. "I wonder why?" Suddenly, the Caramelldansen song erupted from Ren's blazer pocket. "Gack!" Ren stopped walking, staring at her pocket. "My phone!"

"Isn't that…" Ichigo started.

"Yes, so what if I have Caramelldansen on my phone? If my phone goes off, I want to know it's mine." Ren said quickly. "Now, Ichigo, can you get that?"

"Fine." Ichigo sighed, getting frustrated with Ren's personality. "Which pocket?" Ichigo asked, in front of Ren.

"Left pocket. No, not your left, my left. Hey, don't put your hand there! Girls don't have pockets there! The blazer! The blazer!"

"Is this it?" Ichigo asked, holding a phone in front of Ren's face. It was a grey phone with a touch screen, and Ichigo was holding it up by a charm that was a green bell with a face of a frog.

"Yeah. Press the green button." Ichigo did as he was told and held it to Ren's ear. "Hello? Mom? What is it?... Yeah…Uh huh…Uh huh…mm hmm…uh huh…Ichigo? What're you-I mean yeah. He's right here with me…Yes, I got him enrolled…Okay…Wait, we have another spare room?...But what if Grandma visits? Look, Mom, I'm kinda busy right now. Can we have a chat later?... I can't tell you Mom. I'm just busy…Yes, it is school work."

"…" Ichigo glanced away with narrow eyes, impatient. Meanwhile, Dixie landed without a sound on the rooftop of a building, looking down on her foes.

_There they are!_

"Hn?" Dixie narrowed her eyes, spotting Toshiro on Ren's back.

_What's up with him?_ She thought. _Did he faint or something? No. That can't be it. His aura feels like it's all over the place. It feels…_Her eyes widened. _It feels as though there was something else inside of him! Well, then…_Dixie smirked, raising a hand up ready to make a move. _Time to see what it is._ She snapped her fingers.

"No, Mom. We finished the school pantomime ages ago." Ren continued.

_BOOM!_

"Wah!" Ren and Ichigo were whisked off their feet when the road behind them suddenly exploded. Ren landed on her front, and Toshiro fell off her back a few inches away. Ichigo skidded onto one knee, glaring at the cloud of dust.

"Are you alright?" Ichigo asked.

"Yeah. And so's my phone." Ren picked up her phone and brought it back to her ear. "See, Mom? I'm busy. Explosion? That was…building work." Ren lied. The Feather stepped out of the cloud, growling angrily at Ichigo and Ren, who were speechless.

"It found us." Ichigo growled, reaching to his right and grabbing the crowbar he dropped.

"Call you back, Mom." Ren said, hanging up and putting her phone away without looking away from the Feather.

"So I finally found you." Dixie jumped down from the building and in front of the Feather, a hand on her hip. "You stole my scarf."

"Research." Ren said.

"What's up with him?" Dixie demanded, pointing at the body of Toshiro.

"Dunno. And it's not like I'd tell you anyway. You're an enemy."

"Yes, that is true. But, before, I served under you as a loyal servant. How it feels good to be liberated."

"Servant?" Ren blinked. "Okay, I know I had cleaners and babysitters, but I'm pretty sure they weren't you."

"Not the time, Ren. Not the time." Ichigo muttered.

"You don't understand. Not yet anyway. The answers will come in good time, Ren. Or, should I say…" Dixie smirked wickedly. "Zena?"

"Zena?" Ren repeated.

"That's right." Dixie confirmed. "See, the reason why the mistress has taken a liking to you is-"

"Xena's here?" Ren exclaimed, beaming. "Omigod, omigod, omigod! I've always wanted to see someone cosplay as her! Where is she? Hey, Xena! Xena!"

"What planet are you from?" Ichigo yelled, exasperated.

"Earth." Ren answered simply.

"You know what, never mind." Ichigo shook his head, standing up.

"And who are you?" Dixie asked rudely.

"Ichigo Kurosaki." Ichigo answered, stopping himself from saying 'Substitute Soul Reaper'. That would be drawing attention to himself; the kind of attention he could do without. "Look, um…Dixie, is it? We don't have time to play with you, so why don't you go back to your gymnastics class." A vein throbbed on Dixie's forehead after Ichigo said this.

"Oh, you are a dead man! Feather, destroy them!"

"Chotto matte!" Ren yelled, pointing a palm at her.

"Ha?" Dixie raised an eyebrow.

"Ichigo, gimme the crowbar. You're carrying Shiro now." Ren said in a hushed voice, placing Toshiro's arm around her shoulders. She managed to partially lift him off the ground. When did Toshiro get this heavy?

"But-"

"Don't argue with me. Just do it!"

"Alright, alright." Ichigo got down beside Ren and took Toshiro off her shoulders, and stood up, carrying Toshiro's small body in his arms. Ren stood up to face Dixie.

"Sorry, but we have to be going now." Ren bowed politely at Dixie. "Thank you for your time, Pixie."

"Oh, you're not going anywhere."

"Look! A distraction!" Ren yelled, pointing behind Dixie.

"What?" Dixie looked behind her.

"Leg it." Ren ran past Ichigo, who followed suit with a dumbfounded expression on his face, both at Ren's weird plan, and the fact that Dixie fell for it.

"Hey, hold on a…" Dixie started, turning back around, but she found that Ichigo and Ren were nowhere to be found. "That biiiiiiiiitch!"

…

"We made it!" Ren yelled triumphantly, raising her arms in the air. The open air pool was surrounded by four yellow walls, with small towers at each corner, there were some sun loungers piled up in various places, but some were still laid out around the edge of the pool, which had the water drained, so only a dirty bottom with rims of green chlorine lines could be seen on the inside. "We should be safe here." Relieved, Ren threw the crowbar on the ground, and Ichigo kicked a door open so that he could enter the pool area.

"Ren, how did you know that plan would work?" Ichigo asked, staggering through the door so that he wouldn't drop Toshiro.

"I didn't." Ren said. "It's one of my stupid ideas."

"But she fell for it."

"I know!" Ren exclaimed, amazed. "I use that stupid plan almost every day, and they always fall for it. Even a teacher fell for it. A teacher!"

"You don't say." Ichigo muttered, laying Toshiro down on a sun lounger.

"Yeah. It's like saying that they will get cancer if their hand is bigger than their face."

"…" Ichigo looked down at the hand by his side. Slowly, he brought the hand up to his face.

"Ha-ha-ha! If this were a better time, you'd have a red nose right now!" Ren laughed.

"Grrr." Ichigo growled, clenching his fist. He just could not understand how Toshiro could stand her. "Just check on Toshiro. I'll keep guard." With that, Ichigo wandered off while grumbling under his breath, picking up the crowbar in the process.

"Shiro?" Ren said quietly, standing by the sun lounger Toshiro lay on. She knelt down beside it and looked closer at Toshiro. His face was a little more flushed, and she could see beads of sweat on his forehead, and a couple of times, Toshiro winced. "Um…Let's see…" Ren fiddled in her blazer pockets, trying to find something to help. "Phone, no. Pen, no. Another pen, no. Student card, no. Purse, no. Oh, there's my lip balm! Ah, this'll do!" Ren pulled out a white handkerchief with a small, white lace lining. Concern on her face, she gently wiped at Toshiro's damp forehead with the handkerchief. Almost as if in response, Toshiro's eyes opened half way. "Shiro!" Ren gasped, pulling her handkerchief away. "Did I wake you up?"

"Nah." Toshiro answered, his voice quieter and weaker than before. It didn't carry the same firm tone that Ren had become used to. Instead, it seemed much more vulnerable. "Where are we?"

"At the lido. We were attacked by a Feather and you passed out, so Ichigo and I carried you here."

"I see. I'm sorry."

"What are you apologising for?" Ren said, half laughing. "You're not a burden on us or anything like that, in case that's what you're thinking."

"How did you…"

"Lucky guess." Ren shrugged. "That aside, how are you feeling?"

"To be honest, I feel like crap."

"…" Ren smiled happily at Toshiro's bluntness. "Well, the fact that you're awake is good. It means that you must be getting better." Ren placed a hand on Toshiro's forehead. "Hmmm…You do feel warm." Ren began to move her hand away, but Toshiro placed his hand on top of hers. "Sh-Shiro?"

"Could you…keep it there?" Toshiro asked. "Your hand is cold. It feels…nice."

"…" Ren felt her cheeks turn pink in a light blush. "Okay, you're acting kinda weird now, Shiro."

"Ren! How is he?" Ichigo yelled.

"He's awake!" Ren yelled back, relieved how Ichigo unintentionally saved her.

"Well, it's good to have you back with us, Toshiro."

"That's Captain Hitsugaya." Toshiro corrected under his breath.

"He can't fight in that condition. So, it's up to us."

"No worries!" Ren said airily. "We've got a lead of a couple miles ahead of Pixie and the Feather."

"Hi, Ren." Dixie said, jumping over a tower and landing on the other side of the empty pool.

"Hi, Pixie." Ren said quickly. "There's no way she can-" Ren was silent for a moment, processing what she just said. "Wait a…" Ren turned around, and was met with the smug face of Dixie.

"So…what was it you were saying?" She asked, placing a hand on her hip.

"Damn…" Ichigo stood in a fighting stance, ready for an attack.

"SON OF A-" Ren yelled.

…

"Huh?" Steph looked up and out a window of the school cafeteria, her fork just inches from her open mouth.

"What's up?" Tom asked, his mouth full of curry.

"Nothing. I just got the feeling that Ren was really pissed about something." Steph turned back to her lasagne on her plate. "I wonder why?"

"I'm sure it's nothing."

…

"AND A BUCKET OF DOG DOO!" Ren yelled. Silence came over the lido after the outburst. Ichigo and Toshiro were staring at Ren with wide eyes, amazed. Even Dixie was at a loss for words.

"That's a lot of swear words." Ichigo muttered. Toshiro nodded in agreement.

"Are you done?" Dixie asked.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm done." Ren said breathlessly. "How'd you find us?"

"Simple. I followed the charms you're holding."

"Eh? These?" Ren asked, pulling out a small, maroon draw string bag.

"Yes. It's child's play following cores. And it seems as though they're all purified."

"You mean when they turn to gold?" Ren pocketed the bag again.

"Precisely. Now, they are of no use to us."

"Oh, I get it. So, if they're silver, then they are just Feathers, but when they're purified, they can't be used again." Ren tapped her fist on her palm. "Yeah. That totally makes sense. Oh, but speaking of Feather, where's that blind one?"

"Behind you." Dixie said with a shrug.

"Wait, wha-" Before Ren could finish, there was a flash of light behind her, and a beam of light hit her on her back, making Ren stagger a couple of steps before she fell over on her front. The Feather landed in the pit of the swimming pool, its eyes still glowing yellow.

"Ren!" Toshiro yelled, sitting up, but the strain made him loose balance and fall off the sun lounger.

_Dammit. This is NOT the time!_ Toshiro thought, frustrated. He watched as the smoke on Ren's back cleared, and saw that it had burnt a hole in her school blouse, but other than that, she was fine.

"Yeow, that was hot!" Ren exclaimed, sitting up on the ground. Toshiro confirmed his observation. With Ren's energy, she'd get back up even if she'd lost a bucketful of blood. "Ah, you fell off, Shiro!" Ren stood up and went to Toshiro, turning her back on Dixie.

"Don't ignore me!" Dixie yelled. "Hold on a minute…" Dixie narrowed her eyes at Ren. More specifically, she was staring at her unharmed back. She couldn't help but feel there was something there. Something crucial. On closer inspection, her eyes widened. On Ren's back, there were two, light brown, tear drop shape markings on her shoulder blades. "Hey. What is that on your back?"

"Um…My bra?" Ren answered, looking over her shoulder at Dixie.

"No. I meant those markings."

"Oh, them? They're birthmarks. And I'd appreciate it if you don't stare." Ren said with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"She has them." Dixie said to herself. "They are the very same markings that Zena had on her back. This can't be a coincidence."

"You're talking to yourself? That's not good. It's the first sign of madness."

"Oh, really?" Dixie smirked, amused. "Then what's the second sign?"

"Growing hair on your palms."

"What? That's ridiculous." Dixie said, looking at her palm.

"AHAHAHAHA!" Ren laughed. "The third sign is looking for hair on your palms! Pixie is insane!"

"Rrrr..." Dixie growled, clenching her hand into a fist. "That's it! You're gonna die!" The Feather's eyes glowed yellow again, and shot two more yellow bullets at Ren.

"Whoa!" Ren jumped away from the blast, just as they destroyed the edge of the pool that she was standing on moments before. She skidded across the ground a few metres away. "That was close." The Feather jumped out of the pool, landing on the edge with a crash that didn't destroy the ground, it growled and stood still, listening for any noise that would show where Ren was.

"Hoh, man. That Feather sure looks big." Ren said to herself, standing on her toes to look at the Feather. It heard her voice, and turned around to Ren, beginning to advance towards her. "Uuuu, what do I do?" Ren whined, tapping her heels together three times in a nervous tick. After Ren tapped her feet together, she felt her feet become hot. Her hands were feeling hot too. Why was that?

"Ren! You're on fire!"

"Huh?" Ren looked at her feet after Ichigo yelled. "Holy crap!" Sure enough, her ankles were surrounded by an orange fire, as were her wrists, and it seemed do decorate her as though they were bracelets. "What in the..." Ren balanced on one foot to look at her left leg from all different angles. It was fire, but it didn't feel like it was burning. She placed her foot back on the ground, but as soon as she did, the ground briefly rumbled and circular cracks appeared around her foot. "What the heck's going on here?"

_That fire..._Dixie thought. _That ability is just like..._

"..." Ren glanced from her wrists to her ankles several times. She soon looked up at the Feather that was directly in front of her, and she narrowed her eyes with a determined smirk, clenching her hands into fists. "BOOM, HEADSHOT!" She yelled, punching the Feather under its chin. It flew up a couple metres into the air and onto its back, kicking its legs like a turtle on its back. "Aaaaand...up!" Ren kicked the Feather up into the air by several metres, before she joined it by jumping up high. "Falcon Kick!" Ren back flipped in the air, kicking the Feather back down into the ground, where it dented the centre of the pool with a crater. "Yes!" Ren expected to fall back onto the ground, but she remained where she was. "What the..." Ren stamped her foot a couple of times. Vibrations travelled out from her feet. "Look at me! I'm walking on air!" Ren yelled happily, jumping from one foot to another. "In your face, Snowman!"

"Rrrr..." The Feather growled, slowly climbing back onto its feet.

"Oh, yeah. The Feather." Ren stopped hopping, clenching her hands back into fists. "What else can these things do?" Ren wondered. As if on command, the fire around her right wrist glowed even brighter, and some of it travelled to her right palm to make a fireball. "Ho ho! Awesome!" Ren grinned down at the Feather. "One more reference...IMMA FIRIN' MA LAZER!" With that, Ren threw the fireball down to the Feather, and in one instant, it collided with the Feather, making it instantly explode into ashes. There was a glint of metal inside the ash cloud, and the charm flew up into the air into Ren's open palm, where it turned gold on contact. "Sweet."

"She did it." Ichigo said, still a little dumbfounded.

"I did it!" Ren yelled happily, throwing her fists up in the air. "Um...how do I get down?" Ren tried jumping, but she was still in the air. "Can anybody help me? I'd even settle for help from Pixie!"

_Amazing!_ Dixie thought, shocked. _In such a short time, she knew how to use the basics of the Fire Shackles, and defeated a Feather all by herself. That means she'll soon be able to control the rest of the Elemental Shackles, and eventually...she'll be able to wield all of the elements without the Shackles. Either she's a genius, or incredibly lucky._

"Get me down!" Ren whined. Slowly, she began to lower towards the ground. "Ah, there we go." Ren landed gently on the ground. "Now, to turn these off. I know!" Ren tapped her heels together three times. The fire around her ankles and wrists disappeared. "There." She quickly turned her attention to Toshiro. "Shiro. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Toshiro answered, kneeling on the ground with one arm on a sun lounger for support.

"Lemme help." Ren went to Toshiro's left side and hooked his arm around her shoulders, helping him to sit up.

"Thanks." Toshiro muttered, grateful for her help. "By the way, how did you do that?"

"You mean that fiery thing? I tapped my heels three times, and they just...appeared. Weird, huh?"

"They are called Fire Shackles." Dixie interjected, overhearing their conversation. She began to walk around the pool edge towards the three of them, while Ichigo stood his guard with the crowbar in hand. "They are one of the Elemental Shackles; abilities exclusive only to the people of Zena's home world. Zena was lucky enough to be able to wield all of the Elemental Shackles, and before long, she didn't need the shackles in order to control the elements. The fact that you, a human, can summon the Shackles only confirms the mistress' thoughts; you are, without a doubt, linked to Zena. Therefore, you will get in the way of our plans." By now, Dixie was in front of them. "And therefore, you must be eliminated."

"Not on my watch!" Ichigo swung the crow bar down on Dixie as hard as he could, but she caught hold of it with one hand without showing any effort, much to Ichigo's shock.

"Oh, please. You honestly think you can hurt me with this little thing? That's insulting." Dixie taunted. With a smirk, she tightened her grip, and the crowbar instantly bent in her grasp.

"B-But...But that's solid steel." Ren stammered.

"That's not the best part." Still holding onto the crowbar, Dixie raised her arm above her head and Ichigo followed suit, not letting go of the crowbar, and Dixie began to swing him above her head before letting go, causing Ichigo to go flying to the other end of the lido. He crashed into a tall, metal storage box for foam toys and sun loungers, which proceeded to fall on top of him, trapping Ichigo inside the metal cage.

"Ichigo!" Ren yelled.

"Relax, he's fine." Dixie said dismissively. She turned back to Ren and Toshiro. "I cannot say the same for you, though."

"..." Quick as a flash, Toshiro pointed his right palm at Dixie.

"Oh?"

"Hado thirty one: Shakkaho!" Toshiro yelled. Instantly, a red energy ball shot out of his hand and straight at Dixie, where it exploded in smoke that had occasional red flashes of light. "Gah!" Toshiro fell forwards after his attack, planting both hands on the ground so that he wouldn't fall over, but even then, one arm gave out underneath him.

"Shiro!"

_What the hell?_ Toshiro thought, breathless. _I don't usually get this exhausted after casting a Kido spell. Is it because of this fever I have?_

"What was that?" Dixie's voice said in the smoke. With one wave of her arm, the smoke disappeared, and Dixie revealed that she was unharmed. "Was that supposed to hurt?"

"It didn't work?" Ren gasped.

"As if something that weak is going to work on me. It must be that little fever you have. Something is interfering, so you are weak, and not worth my time. But, for the mistress' orders, I shall eliminate you." After Dixie said this, Ren stood up and stood in a protective stance in front of Toshiro. "Move it, girlie."

"Look, I'm the one you really want, right?" Ren asked, a determined look in her eyes. "If so, then that's fine. You can have me. But I won't let you hurt my friend."

_Ren..._Toshiro thought, looking up at Ren.

"Alright." Dixie shrugged.

"Eh?" Ren said, a dumbfounded look on her face. "I thought you would need more persuading."

"Nope. I wanted you dead from the start!" Dixie then proceeded to slap Ren so hard she fell onto the ground, her cheek bright red.

"Ren, run! Don't worry about me! I'll figure something out! Just run!" Toshiro yelled, trying to at least save Ren. Ren responded by sitting up on her hand and knees.

"No..."

"!" Toshiro's eyes widened at her one word.

"I'm going to enjoy this!" Dixie then proceeded to kick Ren across the pool side, and Toshiro could only watch as Dixie mercilessly beat Ren with a barrage of punches and kicks that were so strong, Ren was literally hovering in the air. With one final kick, Ren was sent flying and landed next to Toshiro. She was covered with bruises, and there was a little blood coming from grazes on her head and another trickle from her mouth.

"Ren! Are you okay?" Toshiro asked frantically, filled with worry.

"Yup. Doesn't hurt." Ren coughed, and Toshiro flinched as he saw blood escape from her mouth. "Okay, I'm lying."

"Get out of here! Run!"

"I said no."

"Why?" Toshiro asked, managing to sit up on his knees with what little strength he had left. "Why won't you save yourself?"

"Because..." Ren started. However, Dixie walked up behind her and, grabbing a fistful of her blonde hair, lifted her onto her knees. "Because if I abandon a friend in need..." Ren smiled at Toshiro her usual smile. "Then I have no right to call myself their friend."

"!" Toshiro stared at Ren, speechless. Is this Ren's nature? Would she seriously go this far just for him? For her friends? Couldn't she be selfish just this once? Unable to look at Ren anymore, Toshiro turned away. "You idiot, Ren." Toshiro said quietly.

"Right, then." Dixie let go of Ren's hair and let her drop back onto the ground. But she didn't stop there. Dixie proceeded to raise a foot up, and she brought it down onto her back, making Ren cough up more blood, much to Toshiro's horror. Ren's eyes blanked out, and she fell unconscious. With a smirk, Dixie raised her foot again.

"Stop it! You've done enough already!"

"Shut up!" Dixie kicked Toshiro across the face, knocking him onto the ground. "Know you're place, brat. You should be grateful that this bitch is willing to give up her life for you."

"Yeah..."

"Hm?" Dixie raised an eyebrow. Toshiro placed his hands on the ground, and forced himself up. His arms shook as he did so, but he managed to sit up on one knee before he could collapse, and he remained there to catch his breath. Getting up was more exhausting than he thought.

"Yeah..." He continued. "I am." Toshiro stood up, his hands on his knees to prevent himself from falling over again. "She can be a complete idiot sometimes, but...but she knows where her loyalties lie. That's why she is on the ground right now."

"So, are you going to stop me in that pathetic state?"

"I know I can't do much, but..." While he talked, Toshiro straightened up, but not without a small stagger. He turned his head to face Dixie. "I can at least try."

"But what can you do?" Dixie asked, folding her arms. "You're just a human. And your strange powers don't come through unless you're touching Ren. You're just throwing your life away."

"Believe me; people like me put their lives on the line every day." Toshiro retorted. "Uh..." Toshiro's vision suddenly became blurred, and he felt dizzy. He staggered, struggling to remain standing, but, no matter what, he had to stand up. Otherwise, Ren would be slaughtered by Dixie.

"And another thing. That fever you've got. It's preventing you from doing anything. In fact, you can barely even stand up." Dixie leaned forward to look at Toshiro's face. "All I have to do to defeat you is this." Dixie placed one of her fingers on the back of Toshiro's head and pushed him forwards, causing him to collapse on the ground, where he remained. He couldn't even bring himself to stand up again. He just felt so tired. Resigned, Toshiro closed his eyes.

"Pathetic." Dixie scoffed. "Now, where were we?" She wondered, turning back to Ren. "Oh, yes! I remember."

_Damn..._ Toshiro thought. _I can't move. My eyes won't open, either. I'm so pathetic right now. But...what about Ren? She's in danger. If I helped, I'd only be a burden. But...Even so...Even so, I... _Toshiro's hand twitched, and it clenched into a fist. Toshiro felt a new strength run through him. A powerful strength. Stronger than anything he felt before. He didn't fight it. He let this power take him over.

"This is the end!" Dixie yelled with a manic grin, raising her foot up once again.

_I WANT TO PROTECT HER!_

"Die!" Dixie began to lower her foot, but before she could, a hand reached out and grabbed it. "Huh?" Dixie followed the hand towards the owner. It was Toshiro, who had stood up on one knee with shadows hiding his eyes. "God, you're persistent." Dixie attempted to remove her leg from his grip, but he refused to let go. "Let go of me!"

"Okay." Toshiro swung Dixie above his head, and threw her into the wall next to him, standing up in the process. As Dixie slammed into the wall, it dented with a huge crater that was so deep it almost went all the way through.

_What the hell...?_ Dixie thought as she fell down onto the ground, the rubble from the wall littering around her. _He couldn't even stand up before, so where did this power come from._

"Man, it's been a while." Toshiro moaned, placing a hand on his right shoulder and flexing it back. "What's with this body?" He looked around his surroundings. "Where is this place?"

_Wait a second..._Dixie sat up on all fours, glaring at Toshiro. _That's not the brat._

"Hm?" Toshiro's attention was drawn to Ren. His eyes widened, and he immediately got down on one knee beside her, touching her shoulder.

"Hey, you." Dixie demanded, staggering back onto her feet. "Who are you?"

"Tell me..." Toshiro started. "Are you the one who did this to this girl?"

"Yeah. What about it?" Dixie asked, smirking.

"I see..." Toshiro said slowly, standing up with his back turned to Dixie. His hands clenched into fists.

"This aura..." Dixie said to herself. Her eyes widened. "Don't tell me...you're..."

"You are correct. I am not the owner of this body. But first, tell me your name." While he spoke, a blue smoke rose from his clenched fists.

"Dixie." She answered, trying to sound confident, but she could not stop her voice from shaking.

"Well then, Dixie..." Toshiro turned around to face Dixie, and her eyes widened. The aura had grown so that the smoke took up his arms up to the elbows, and it was so intense, his hair blew in an invisible breeze. But, what terrified Dixie the most was the enraged look on his face.

"I, the Heavenly Guardian Ryuki, will spare you no ounce of my fury!"

**There you have it, guys! Toshiro's back in action! I mean, Ryuki! Stay tuned for the battle between Toshiro/Ryuki and Dixie! Oh, and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all!**


	10. The Heavenly Guardian

**Brrr, its cold up here! Then again, I do live in Yorkshire, so it's kind of expected. So far, Ren has been beaten to a pulp, and before she could be killed, a mysterious person takes over Toshiro's body and challenges Dixie! That person's name is Ryuki! Let's see him now!**

Chapter 8

The Heavenly Guardian

"Itai…" Ren groaned, rubbing her head. Everything looked blurred to her, she tasted blood in her mouth, and her entire body hurt. "What happened?" She asked nobody weakly. "Oh, yeah, that's right." She remembered how she had offered herself to Dixie, and as a result, she had been beaten unconscious. She remembered that she had protected Toshiro, and that reminded her; she had to see if he was okay. "Shiro, are you…" Ren started, looking over her shoulder. She gasped. Toshiro wasn't there! "Shiro?" Ren sat up on her arms, wincing in the process. "Ow! Dammit, the regeneration isn't kicking in. Useless ass powers! I outta-Oh, there we go!" Her body gradually began to ache less, and she felt her bruises and cuts heal up. But, she still couldn't get rid of the taste in her mouth. A stick of gum could fix that later. She stood up back onto her feet, with one hand on her ribs. And that was when she saw it. She saw two figures moving around the lido. They were so fast, that Ren couldn't distinguish who was who. Ren's eyes could follow their movements, but she was unable to tell who the fighters were. She guessed that one was Dixie, but as for the other one? She didn't know. Was it a new person? Was it a friend, or an enemy?

"Huh?" Suddenly, the two fighters stopped moving, and jumped away from one another at a safe distance, staring at one another. One was Dixie, who was clearly losing the upper hand, as she had grazes on her body, and was glaring at the other person angrily. Ren looked to the other person, and she just couldn't believe her eyes at who was fighting Dixie. "Shiro?"

"Well, I'm moderately impressed." Dixie said with a smirk, having recovered from the shock of this other person suddenly appearing. "I thought after all this time you would be weak, but I was wrong. I'd expect nothing less from you…Ryuki."

"I was about to say the same thing." Ryuki said in retaliation, allowing the aura around his arms to disappear. "Last time I checked, you were not a fighter, but a maid."

"Don't remind me!" Dixie said in disgust. Her eyes glanced towards Ren, who was staring at the two of them.

_I can't hear what they're saying._ Ren thought. _They're too far away. Should I get closer? No, it's best I stay out of it. Shiro probably wouldn't want me to interfere anyway._

_This outta shake him up a little._ Dixie thought, smiling.

"What are you looking at?" Ryuki asked, suspicious.

"Tell me, Ryuki." Dixie started, looking back at him. "That girl you saved…do you know who she is?"

"No." Ryuki answered. "But, you still have no right to hurt her. If there is one thing I can't stand, it's someone who dares to harm a woman."

"Maybe you'll think twice about not knowing her once you see her."

"?" Ryuki raised an eyebrow, confused. Dixie, still smiling, pointed at Ren.

"She's awake. Take a look for yourself, and tell me if you know her."

"…" Ryuki turned his head towards where Dixie was pointing, a bored expression on his face. That boredom immediately turned into shock upon seeing Ren's face. That face looked exactly like somebody he knew long ago. Somebody who meant everything to him.

"Zena?" Ryuki's voice was barely above a whisper.

"Oh, so you do recognise her." Dixie said, mocking surprise. "Are you shocked? Of course you are." Dixie said dismissively, answering her own question. "How does it feel knowing that your nearest and dearest is right there in person?"

_With this, he'll be too shocked to do anything._ Dixie grinned, clenching her hands into fist and preparing to attack Ryuki again. _I'll beat him down to a pulp._

"You're not beating anybody."

"!" Dixie recoiled back, taken aback at Ryuki's statement. The aura appeared around Ryuki's arm again, but this time, it was much fiercer.

"Seeing that face again…I still can't quite believe it. But…" The aura suddenly shrank, and it turned into blue smoke surrounding his wrists and ankles like thick bracelets that occasionally shone like glitter in the sun.

"They're…" Dixie gasped.

"Just because I'm shocked doesn't mean I can't beat you!" With that said, Ryuki moved so quickly, Dixie didn't even have time to react before she was struck behind the neck. She collapsed onto the ground, revealing Ryuki standing behind her with an arm raised.

_That ability…_Dixie thought, fighting to stay awake. _He can still use it even though he's borrowing that human's body? The Shackles exclusive only to Ryuki himself…the Ice Shackles._ Dixie's eyes closed, and she fell unconscious.

"Man, that was boring." Ryuki groaned, the Shackles disappearing.

"Get me outta here!" Ichigo's voice yelled. Ryuki stared with a slightly amused expression as Ichigo banged on the sides of the bin. With a shrug, Ryuki decided that he'd better let out whoever was underneath there.

"Hold on a sec." Ryuki grabbed the rim of the container and with one hand lifted it off the ground and overturned it onto its side. Ichigo stood up from the piles of foam floats and life rings, unhooking one life ring from around his neck.

"Thanks." Ichigo brushed off some droplets of water from his shirt before turning his attention to Ryuki. "It looks like you've recovered, Toshiro. Did you take out Dixie?"

"Toshiro?" Ryuki repeated.

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Ichigo said dismissively, stepping out of the wreckage and tripping over a sun lounger. "Captain Hitsugaya, right? Why are you so bothered about that? I mean-"

"Who the heck's Toshiro?" Ryuki asked. Silence.

"Eh?" Ichigo said, dumbfounded.

"Shiro! Ichigo!" Ren yelled, running towards the two of them. Her ribs no longer hurt, so it was easy for her to move. She stopped as soon as she got to the boys. "Are you both alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. What happened?"

"Well, I kinda blacked out for a while, but Shiro here totally beat Pixie's ass! It was awesome!"

"Hey…"

"Huh?" Ren stopped giving her explanation after Ryuki interrupted her.

"Are you injured?"

"Um…No, I'm fine now." Ren answered, a little stunned. On Ryuki's face, or the face that looked like Toshiro, she saw that there was a touch of gentleness to it. And that was something that she had never seen in Toshiro before. She only became even more confused when he gave a small smile.

"I'm glad that you are safe…" What Ryuki did next surprised both Ichigo and Ren. He got down on one knee with one hand on the ground and the other across his other knee, bowing his head. "Princess."

"Eh?" Ren and Ichigo said at the same time, sweat dropping. Did their Toshiro just bow down on the ground? It was just unbelievable. But, when he looked up at Ren and smiled a happy smile, it was the last straw.

"EH?"

Ten minutes later, back in the common room.

"Oh, I see!" Ren exclaimed, tapping her fist on her palm. "So, you're somebody else in Shiro's body?"

"Yup!" Ryuki said happily. He was sat in one of the blue chairs cross legged, clutching his ankles. Tom and Steph were also there, marvelling over this new boy. Ren was wearing her blazer over her shirt so as not to show off the massive hole in the back, but Ichigo was leaning on the wall with his arms folded. He just wasn't sure if this new person could be trusted or not. "My name is Ryuki! It's nice to meet you all!"

"Thank you for protecting Ren." Tom said politely.

"It's what I do."

_Ryuki…_Ren thought. _Ryuki…Where have I heard that before?_

"So who are you?" Ryuki asked Tom. "Are you her Heavenly Guardian?"

"Her what?"

"Oh, no, no, no." Ren said quickly. "Nothing like that. Tom here is one of my friends, and so's Steph."

"Hi there!" Steph said happily.

"It's a pleasure to meet you…" Ryuki took Steph's hand and kissed the back of it. "Young lady."

"Um…Er…" Steph stammered, blushing.

"Is something wrong?" Ryuki asked, confused.

"N-N-No, nothing. You just, um, surprised me."

"Surprise?" Letting go of the flustered Steph's hand, Ryuki looked at Ren. "Did I do something wrong?"

"Well, it's not everyday boys kiss a girl's hand."

"That's impolite."

"Not impolite. More like uncommon. In this day and age, there aren't that many gentlemen around."

"I'm not a gentleman. I'm a Heavenly Guardian."

"So you say."

"Ichigo?" Ren looked over her shoulder at Ichigo. His stare went straight to Ryuki, who was looking at him innocently.

"How do we know you're not leading us on?" Ichigo asked suspiciously. "Your story's good, but what proof do you have? Besides, we don't even know what a Heavenly Guardian is."

"Oh…Fair enough. Do you want me to explain it to you?" Ryuki asked. Ichigo nodded. "Alright. Where I come from, the Heavenly Guardian is someone chosen by the current princess of my home world when they come of age. I was the chosen Heavenly Guardian when Zena's time came."

"So you're, like, a bodyguard?" Steph asked.

"Something like that, yeah. The Heavenly Guardian has to be powerful enough to protect the princess, so it was a requirement for them to be a captain, like me."

"You're a captain? Just like Shiro?"

"Yuh huh." Ryuki nodded. "I'm one of twelve captains in the Royal Guard."

_Captains, huh?_ Ichigo thought. _Sounds a lot like the Soul Society._

"But you're pretty young to be a captain." Tom said.

"Not really." Ryuki shrugged. "I'm only sixteen years old."

"Still sounds young."

"Whatever!"

"But you must be really strong to be a captain. And at such a young age. That's incredible!"

"Why, thank you, um…" Ryuki scratched his head. "Steph, was it?"

"Yes."

Can you…show us something?" Tom asked.

"Like what?"

"Well…could you show us some moves?"

"Yeah, I wanna see too." Ren agreed.

"I don't like the idea of being a performing sideshow, but if the princess requests it, then I shall carry out her desires." Ryuki stood up, shrugging his shoulders back. "Hey, carrot top, you coming?"

"What did you say?" Ichigo exclaimed.

"I said carrot top." Ryuki smiled at him mischievously. "That doesn't bother you does it, carrot top?"

"Why you little…" Ichigo growled, ready to punch him in the face whether he looked like Toshiro or not.

"Hold on, Ichigo. I think there's a Feather here." Ren peered through a door leading outside. Sure enough, there was a Feather in the courtyard. It had a grey body, six jointed legs and a white mask that took up only the left side of its face. It also had a spike-like protrusion on the joins in its legs, and a snake-like tail with a three pronged fork at the end.

"Heh. Perfect." Ryuki said, smirking. "I can finish this thing off in one second, but I'll amuse you guys." Ryuki punched a fist in his palm and started to walk towards the Feather. "Take a seat, ladies and gentleman. The show's about to begin."

"Should we really do this?" Ichigo asked.

"Eh, I trust him." Ren sat back on a bench, folding her arms. "Might as well do as he says."

"I'm with Ren."

"Me too." Steph agreed, and Tom and Steph proceeded to sit on either side of Ren. Rolling his eyes, Ichigo leaned on the wall beside them, knowing he wouldn't win in an argument when they've already made their minds up.

"Rrrr…" The Feather snarled down at Ryuki, who stood in front of it with a calm expression.

"I don't think I'll use them." Ryuki said to himself, looking at his hand. He clenched it into a fist. "I have something special for the final act." He looked back at the Feather. "So then, Mr Feather, hit me with your best shot! I hope that's not too difficult!"

"He sure is cocky."

"Yup." Ren agreed. "Gotta have a cocky guy on your team, Ichigo."

_Judging by the colour of its body, this Feather is a Range Type._ Ryuki thought. _So, those spikes on its legs will probably shoot out at me at some point, and that tail can be used as a whip. If that's so, then it will be vulnerable the moment it tries to attack me with either the spikes or the tail._ He glanced at the group watching him from a distance before looking back at the Feather, a confident smile on his face. _Just the type of Feather I need._

"RAWR!" Sure enough, the six spikes on the Feathers legs shot out into the sky, a red flesh-like rope for a chain.

"And the curtain rises!" Ryuki disappeared from the spot he was standing on, just as a spike landed in the ground.

_Flash step?_ Ichigo thought, eyes wide. _No. That's not it. He's just moving so quickly that the human eye can't keep up._ Ryuki reappeared behind the Feather, which looked behind it to face him.

"Where are you aiming?" Ryuki asked. "I'm over here." With a growl, the Feather attacked Ryuki with its pointed tail, but he easily jumped over it and leapt back away from the Feather as two spikes attempted to attack him, then he disappeared again.

"So fast!" Steph gasped, leaning forward.

"I can't follow where he's going!"

"I think I can." Ren said. "He's…He's just running in circles around the Feather. It can't even keep up!"

"There he is!" Tom pointed up in the sky. Everyone followed where he was pointing. There, in the sky, Ryuki was high up in the air. He landed on the roof of the three storey school building.

"Act one: Speed. Concluded." The Feather looked up at Ryuki, growled and shot its spikes at him again. "Begin act two…" Ryuki jumped into the air again, avoiding the spikes and landing squarely on his feet in front of the Feather. When three spikes fell towards him, Ryuki smirked. He jumped back from one spike and landed on his hands and flipped back from the next spike and he did it for the final spike before finishing back on his feet. "Agility."

"Not impressed!" Ren yelled, startling Ryuki. "I can do that too!"

"Them?" Tom asked.

"Yeah. Back handsprings. Also, I can do back handspring step outs."

"What's the difference?"

"The step outs look more like wheels. Great for beam work. Back handsprings are more for martial arts. I learnt how to do it in gymnastics, and I'm pretty damn proud of it, if I do say so myself."

"How many can you do in a row?" Ryuki asked, cupping his hands around his mouth so that he could be heard.

"Nineteen!"

"I can do forty!"

"…" Ren was silent, thinking about Ryuki's response. "Okay, now I'm impressed!" Ren yelled, prompting Ichigo to fall over in exasperation.

"Whoops!" Ryuki jumped away from a spike, rolling across the ground to a stop, and ducked to the right to avoid another attack. The Feather attempted to attack him with its tail, but Ryuki dodged this by jumping forwards onto his hands, dashing underneath the Feather without it noticing.

"Oh! A front handspring!" Ren exclaimed, leaning forward in her seat.

"Begin act three…" Ryuki started, clenching his hands into fists. The Feather grunted as Ryuki punched it straight up into the air. "Combat." Ryuki jumped high into the air, back flipping in the air and kicking it right in the face, slamming it back into the ground. The Feather stood up quickly and looked around the sky for Ryuki, but he wasn't there.

"Over here." The Feather turned to its right, and was met with a punch in the face, sending it skidding across the ground. Ryuki lowered his fist, looking rather bored. "This is more boring than I thought it would be. You're not even putting up a fight."

"So strong!" Tom said, amazed.

"Something tells me this isn't even half of his strength." Ichigo noted out loud.

"For the final act, I shall show you something no human has ever seen." Ryuki looked over his shoulder at Ren, smiling. "You'll remember this, princess. You can do it, too."

"?" Ren blinked, surprised. Do what? Now she was really curious.

_It feels like this body has them._ Ryuki thought, closing his eyes. _Yes, they're definitely there._

"Huh?" Ryuki opened his eyes. The Feather lunged straight towards him, but he disappeared from the spot, just as the Feather landed on that spot. Ryuki landed on the roof of the school building again, just in front of the setting sun.

"What's he going to do?" Steph wondered, shielding her eyes to look at Ryuki.

"Final act!" Ryuki proclaimed, closing his eyes again with a smile. At that moment, Ren could make out a small glowing behind Ryuki and before she could wonder what would happen, a pair of pure white wings sprouted from his back. Ren and the others could only gawp at Ryuki. Even Ichigo was amazed at this sight. Ryuki deliberately unfolded the wings slowly, casting a shadow of him on the ground as he showed off the wings.

"Whoa!" Ren said, staring at the shadow. And to think she could do this, too. Now she was really excited.

"Wings!" With one flap, Ryuki's feet lifted off the roof, and he dove down towards the Feather so quickly, one of the fleshy chains was severed, and the spikes clattered on the ground. The Feather growled at Ryuki as he flew back up into the sky, but he disappeared before the Feather could launch a counter attack. In that one instant, all of the chains linked to its spikes were severed.

"He's even faster!" Tom exclaimed, trying to follow where Ryuki was going, but to no avail.

"Finishing move!" Ryuki dropped down from the sky directly onto the Feather's head, shattering the mask completely. Ryuki jumped off the head of the defeated Feather, folding his wings as the Feather turned into ashes and disappeared. The core shone in the cloud of ashes and sped straight towards Ren, who instantly outstretched her palm. The core landed on her hand, and it turned gold on contact.

"Another one for the collection." Ren muttered to herself, taking her drawstring bag out of her pocket and dropping the new addition inside it.

"That was amazing!" Steph exclaimed, running up to Ryuki.

"I'm glad you liked it." Ryuki shrugged his shoulders back, making his wings give a small flutter in the process. "It's been a while since I've been in a fight like that."

"Are those…Are those real?" Tom asked, looking closely at Ryuki's wings.

"Yup." Ryuki nodded. He stretched out the left wing a little. "See? They're not fake. They're real wings. Go ahead. Touch them, if you want."

"…" Tom slowly reached his hand out to touch the wing. When he did so, he was even more amazed. The feathers were softer than anything he felt before, and underneath them all, he could feel the bones that made the wing what it was. It was like looking at the wing of a real bird, only this time it was on a human being.

"Are you convinced?" Ryuki asked. Tom, speechless, nodded.

"That's incredible." Steph breathed. "You were like…like…like an angel."

"Well, I am a Heavenly Guardian." Ryuki said with a smirk, folding his arms.

_He's so strong._ Ichigo thought, still in slight shock at the power Ryuki had just shown. _But, that was only a taste of his power. This kid…_

"Hey, I'm not a kid!" Ryuki exclaimed, glaring at Ichigo.

"Gack!" Ichigo grimaced, taken aback.

"Yeah! How do you like that, carrot top? I'm telepathic!" Ryuki's annoyed expression went away as soon as he heard Ren start to giggle behind her hand. Looking at Ren's laughing face brought back so many memories for Ryuki; memories of Zena.

"How did you make them appear?" Tom asked.

"Huh? What?" Ryuki stammered, snapping out of his thoughts.

"Those wings. Are they retractable?"

"Yes, they are. Watch." Ryuki stretched out all twelve feet of his wings and they started to glow white. The glowing turned into lightning bolt-like shapes that shot straight into Ryuki's back, but he didn't even flinch. "Ta da."

"It didn't even tear your clothes?" Steph ran behind Ryuki, inspecting his shirt. Not a single rip.

"No. Everyone from my home world has wings. It shows in our markings."

"Markings?" Ren repeated, curious.

"Yeah. Hang on, I'll show you." As he talked, Ryuki pulled off the black necktie and, while he unbuttoned his shirt, turned around so that his back faced the group. Ichigo, letting curiosity take over, joined Ren, Tom and Steph. Ryuki pulled down his shirt, and revealed his back to them all. There, on the spot where his shoulder blades would be, were two light brown birth marks shaped like tear drops.

"They're…" Ichigo gasped, recognising the markings.

"They're the same markings as mine!" Ren exclaimed, taking a step back after also recognising the shape.

"Really?" Steph looked over at Ren. "I never saw them."

"I have exactly the same birth marks. Look." Ren took off her blazer.

"Don't take your shirt off, please!" Tom cried, turning red faced. Ren turned around to show the hole in her blouse, along with her birthmarks. "Phew!" He sighed from relief, glad that he wouldn't see Ren undress.

"Yes, they're exactly the same." Steph said, looking back and forth between Ryuki's back and Ren's back.

"Of course they are." Ryuki retorted, buttoning up his shirt again and turning back around. "Everyone in our home world has them, and the princess is no exception."

"Look, we need to get something straight." Ren put her blazer back on and looked straight at Ryuki, who had just finished putting hit tie back on. "I know that I look like this Zena person, but no matter how similar I am to her, I'm sorry, but…I'm not Zena."

"…" When Ryuki heard those words, he felt like he was going to collapse. All at once, his whole world crumbled. His hopes had been dashed. This wasn't the person he had sworn to protect. "Oh…" Ryuki looked down at the ground, unable to look at Ren.

"…" Seeing Ryuki's sad face, Ren immediately felt guilty. She raised a hand up and, after hesitating, placed it on Ryuki's shoulder. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

"It's fine…" Ryuki said, his voice losing the confident tone that it carried. "I'm glad you told me the truth."

"Well, I'm pretty honest." Ren said with a shrug. Ryuki smiled to himself. Yes, that honesty was just like Zena. She was not Zena, yet it felt like he was looking at another Zena. It was amazing. "But…If it makes you feel better, you can still call me princess if you want. I don't mind."

"Thank you…" Ryuki placed his hand on top of Ren's. "Princess." He added after some hesitancy. His eyes suddenly widened.

"What's wrong?" Ren asked, noticing the change in expression.

"Get behind me!" Ryuki pulled Ren behind him, raising an arm protectively in front of her. He narrowed his eyes. "Someone's here. And they're not on our side."

"Is it Dixie?" Ichigo asked, joining Ryuki by his side.

"I don't know." Almost as if on cue, Sentaro teleported several metres away from the group in a flash of orange light.

_It seems Dixie was right._ Sentaro thought, looking at Ryuki. _He has taken over that kid._

"It's been a while…" Sentaro started, reaching for his hood. He pulled it down behind him, revealing his face for the first time. His hair was black and collar length with a messy style to it and his eyes were narrow and black in colour. Upon pulling down his hood, yellow pull cords were revealed after being hidden away inside his hood, tied together by an emblem of the White Raven. "Ryuki."

"Heh." Ryuki smirked, relaxing his guard a little. "You're looking well, Sentaro."

"Sentaro? So that's…" Ichigo looked at Ren, pointing at Sentaro. In response, Ren nodded.

"Hn?" Ryuki's attention went to the emblem attached to Sentaro's cloak. "I see. So you're with them now."

"After the fall of your home, I was invited to join White Raven. They gave me power that I could only dream of having in the past."

_White Raven?_ Ren thought. _So that's what they're called. I guess that explains the logo on Pixie's scarf._

"Are you shocked?" Sentaro asked.

"Not really." Ryuki admitted. "Just…disappointed. And to think that you used to be such a dedicated warrior."

"You know him?" Ren asked.

"He used to be my subordinate."

"It's no lie. I was in the Royal Guard, and Ryuki was the captain of the division I was in."

"It looks like the years have made you lose your manners." Ryuki closed his eyes, smiling. "You're meant to call me Captain."

_I guess Toshiro and Ryuki are more similar than I thought._ Ichigo thought, sweat dropping at those familiar words.

"I won't lie; I was honoured to serve under you. The White Dragon, Ryuki. You became captain at the age of fourteen, and one month later, you became Princess Zena's Heavenly Guardian. It wasn't surprising. You were exceptionally talented, and you could wield the Ice Shackles; the only Shackles capable of freezing anything, even time itself. The Ice Shackles were the upgrade to Water Shackles, and they only come once every fifty years. You, a child, were the one to wield the Ice Shackles. Not only that, but your swordsmanship was excellent, so much so that you could use four swords at once."

"Four? Why not five?" Steph wondered.

"Where would the fifth one go?" Ryuki asked, confused.

"In your mouth. Like that guy from One Piece. Ren, what was his name? Rolo…Um…"

"Roronoa Zorro."

"Yeah, like him."

"Huh?" Ryuki exclaimed, looking over his shoulder with a face that was a mixture of surprise and disgust. "In my mouth? That's disgusting! Why would I wield a sword in my mouth? You're weird!"

"Um…" Steph started, not certain as to how she should react. "Yes, you're right. I apologise." She looked away, a sheepish smile.

"Nah, no big deal." Ryuki quickly shrugged off the conversation, turning back to Sentaro.

"You have been sealed away for less than twenty years, yet here you are now, borrowing the body of a human. How this is possible, I do not know. However…now that you are here, and I am your enemy, I can finally do this." Sentaro clenched his right fist, and an orange aura appeared around it.

"That's the same aura from when Shiro and I first saw him!" Ren gasped.

"Ryuki!" Sentaro roared, charging towards Ryuki. He tried to punch him, but Ryuki ducked down, and kept dodging Sentaro's blows so quickly that it looked as though he were teleporting.

"Sentaro, I'm not going to fight you." Ryuki said calmly while ducking left and right and walking back from Sentaro. "I'm too strong. You'll only lose." But, Sentaro didn't listen, and he drew back his glowing fist, aiming one more blow. "Very well." Ryuki closed his eyes. "I'm sorry."

"!" Sentaro's eyes widened. The glowing around his fist disappeared. Ryuki was directly in front of him, his fist having punched him cleanly in the gut.

"One blow…" Ren breathed, amazed.

"Have no fear, Sentaro." Ryuki said quietly. The crest on Sentaro's cloak began to glow faintly. "You're going home." The glowing took over Sentaro, and he disappeared from that spot, leaving nothing behind. Silence fell over the quad.

"Okay, what was that?" Ichigo asked, unable to believe what he saw.

"This is the third time he was defeated." Ryuki explained. "Three defeats are all it takes for a low class soldier like him to be sent back. For others, it can be more or less, depending on their rank. When a member of White Raven is defeated, their crest activates, and it sends them back where they came from, providing they have the symbol of the White Raven on them."

"Where they came from?" Tom said.

"Yes." Ryuki nodded. "Most members of White Raven are from my home world."

"What?" Ren gasped. "White Raven is forcing people from the same world to fight each other? That's too cruel!"

"I know, but you needn't worry. White Raven brings in people and as soon as they arrive, their darker sides are brought out, dominating their reasoning and their better half. Once they return to their home world, they're new powers, if any, are removed, and their memories erased. Sentaro will lose his abilities and his memories on Earth."

"Wait, so…he couldn't use that weird aura before?"

"No. They are incomplete Fire Shackles. They had the physical strength that came with it, but other than that, Sentaro could not use the ability to produce fire."

"But, it's a relief that he won't remember anything." Ren sighed, relieved.

"You sympathise with the enemy?" Ryuki asked, a little surprised.

"Yeah. They're still people, even if they're my enemy."

"…" Ryuki looked away. Ren was reminding him more and more of Zena. It both made him happy and saddened him.

"Sentaro was weak, but from now on, the enemies will only get tougher and tougher." Ryuki clenched his fists. "Who knows? If it comes to it, White Raven may send in the Shengxiao."

_Shengxiao?_ Ren thought. She held her chin thoughtfully. _Alright, I know I heard that before. I just can't put my finger on it._

"I don't know why I can take over this human's body. I had trouble beforehand trying to take over, but it was his determination that let me come out. Princess, that determination from your friend must continue if you want to succeed in defeating the White Raven."

"Right." Ren nodded, still thinking about the name Ryuki mentioned.

"But, you'll help us, too, right?" Ichigo asked. He was still fishy about this cocky version of Toshiro, but he knew that this kid was a powerful ally to have, especially now that he knew an entire organisation was against them.

"Of course." Ryuki nodded. "Besides, if I'm defeated now, then I couldn't keep my promise…" Ryuki looked up at the sky. "To her."

"?" Ren blinked. Her? Could he mean Zena? Or maybe it was her? Or somebody else she didn't know? Before she could ask, Ryuki blinked, and started to look very confused.

"Wha-Wait, what? Where am I?" He looked left and right. "How did I get here? Where's Dixie?"

"Uh…" Ren said, puzzled. What had got into Ryuki? He was so much more different now than before. It didn't make sense. Unless…

"Sh…Shiro?" Ren called out, still unsure as to whether it was really Toshiro.

"Ren?" He turned to look at Ren. "Ren! You're okay!"

"Y-Yeah. I am." Ren responded with some hesitancy. "And you're…"

"I'm fine, yes. But, why am I back at the school? What…" Toshiro trailed off, preventing him from finishing his sentence. He swayed a little, and his eyelids drooped. "What…happened?" With that, Toshiro began to collapse.

"Shiro!" Ren was quick to run to his side with Ichigo following her, and she grabbed his shoulders just as Toshiro fell onto his knees. "Shiro, what's wrong?" She remembered that Toshiro had a fever the last time she saw him. She felt his forehead. Nothing. Just to be sure, she removed her hand from Toshiro's forehead and placed it on her own. She had the same temperature. "No fever."

"It's alright. Toshiro had his body controlled by somebody else. He must be exhausted."

"But, he doesn't remember anything." Ren pointed out. "Sure, we know who the enemy is, but somehow, I have a feeling that we're getting involved in something that's far more dangerous than we can imagine." Ren looked down at Toshiro's sleeping face. "I also think that Shiro and I are more crucial in this than we can imagine."

"Ren…" Ichigo started, trying to think of something to put her mind at ease, but he couldn't find the words. She was right about the situation. What could he say to deny something that was a fact?

"Don't worry, Ichigo. You don't have to say anything." Ren smiled warmly, still looking at Toshiro. It was a relief for her to see Toshiro resting with no pain, unlike before. Plus, he looked quite cute asleep. "The answers will come soon. But, for now, I'm not worried about the new enemies. We'll just cross that bridge when we come to it."

"Yeah…" Ichigo agreed.

_Man, nothing seems to worry her._ Ichigo thought.

"Ichigo, can you give me a hand here?" Ren asked. "I've gotta get Shiro to my car."

"You drive?" Ichigo exclaimed.

"Yeah. Her car was at the garage for a couple weeks." Steph explained.

"Ren got her driving licence about four months ago. Didn't you know?"

"But we…We got the bus here…"

"And during the fight at the lido, my mom dropped it off outside of school because she's working late and the bus broke down today. Now help me!"

"Right!" Ichigo quickly went to Ren's side, helping her place Toshiro on her back. "But why didn't you tell me you could drive?"

"Why didn't you ask?" Ren asked, an innocent expression on her face. Meanwhile, a shadow was watching the group from the rooftops of the school building. This person was clearly male, and there were horn-like protrusions on his head. He narrowed his eyes at Ren and her friends, and turned on his heel to walk away. There was a flash from an emblem attached to a tassel on his clothing. It was the symbol of the White Raven. The mysterious man disappeared, leaving no evidence that he was ever there.

**There we go! The weakling Sentaro is out the way, so now, even stronger guys are going to come along! So, who are the Shengxiao? Will we see Ryuki again? Find out here, only in Fate and Destiny!**


	11. Premonition

**Hiya, guys! Now, I know it's been a long time since I've updated, but hello! Uni student! I'm busy! Can you blame me for not finding enough time? But, at least I've found time now, right? Well, whatever. Enjoy!**

Chapter 9

Premonition

A man shrouded in shadows jumped from one final tree branch onto the ground, just on the edge of a field. It was the man with horns who had observed Ren and her friends. He had travelled for a long time with this important information. After all, there were now two threats to White Raven. He removed his hood. He was a middle aged man with a bald head that had two small horns on it. His eyes were black and lifeless, but they seemed to have some form of a soul, yet it was inhuman. He looked around at his surroundings. The sun was setting in the sky, casting an eerie, orange light on the ground and colouring the sky an array or orange and pink. To his right, there was a thin row of trees, which hid the houses that lay behind them.

"I have returned!" He called in a loud, clear voice. "It is I, Gotam!" There was a silence as a breeze passed through the fields of wheat, until out of the ground rose eleven more figures, all of which wore the same maroon cloak as Gotam and all of these figures were of varying heights. At the front of the hoods, the ties each had the emblem of White Raven.

"What news have you brought?" One figure said, his voice calm and firm.

"Grave news, Leader. Sentaro was defeated."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Sentaro?" Another man said, although this time, it sounded younger. Like a teenager. "That's not exactly big news. He was a weakling. We all knew it was coming."

"Shut up!" Another hissed. It was a woman, and her voice was fierce, and seemed to almost growl with anger.

"Alright, alright!" The teenager said.

"But, the thing is…Sentaro was defeated by a human." Gotam continued, unfazed by the little dispute that just took place.

"A human?" The leader repeated, a small hint of surprise in his voice.

"Yes. However, this human was controlled by another being." Gotam narrowed his eyes. "A being named Ryuki." After this, everyone, besides the leader, gasped.

"Ryuki?"

"Him?"

"But he's supposed to be sealed away along with the rest of the home world."

"This is certainly interesting."

"It is enough to instil fear in anybody."

"…" The leader raised a hand up, and the whispers of shock immediately stopped. "Continue."

"I think it is apparent that this human boy who appeared out of nowhere is linked to Ryuki, and yet I don't know why. But, he does bear some resemblance to him. However, their personalities are completely different, and the human does not have the markings Ryuki's people carry. I am certain that this does not count as an awakening, though we cannot rule out the possibility that the human boy will gain Ryuki's powers."

"And the girl?"

"She gets stronger every day. Today, she was able to use the Fire Shackles." There were more hushed whispers among the ten people, and it took another hand raise from the leader to silence them. "I don't know if it is out of luck or not, but the fact still remains that the human girl will soon be able to have access to all of Zena's powers."

"But if that happens, then we're all doomed." A young man said.

"Way to state the obvious, Caleb." The teenager said obnoxiously. Suddenly, there was a cracking sound in front of the teenager's feet. One taller figure held in their hand a whip.

"That's enough out of you." The figure said. This time, it was a woman, who seemed to speak in a sinister hiss.

"Calm yourselves." The leader said firmly.

"Yes, Leader." The teenager, the man now known as Caleb and the woman bowed their heads in a silent apology.

"Right now, she is not as strong as Zena, but with time, she could be a greater threat than she already is. So concludes my report." Gotam bowed his head at the leader, who was silent in contemplation.

"Wh…What do we do, Leader?" A girl, who had a quiet voice, said.

"For now, nothing."

"What? But I wanna see this cutie myself!" Caleb complained.

"He said we don't do anything." Another hooded figure said fiercely. This figure was considerably shorter than the rest of them, and they sounded like a young girl. "You got that?"

"Caleb. Panya. That's enough." The leader said calmly. "I stand by my decision. For now, let's just wait and bide our time."

"Yes, Leader." All eleven hooded figures bowed their heads, taking the order. The leader of the group turned his head to his left. Through the trees, he could make out a house. In one such window, he saw a teenage boy with spiky orange hair, just before the curtains were closed by him.

"That's her house there. It is where the two human boys are currently living. Use that as a start for the observation. And remember; do not attack them unless ordered to do so."

"Understood."

_It seems like everything is in motion._ The leader thought.

…

"!" Toshiro's eyes snapped wide open with a gasp. He blinked a couple of times to get properly awake. He was staring at the white ceiling of his room, although he was feeling too drowsy to recognise it. He sat up in his bed rubbing his head. He had such a headache, and he didn't understand why. What exactly happened to him? One minute he was passed out at the lido, and the next, he was standing outside the sixth form common room. It didn't add up, and not one possible solution he could think of made sense.

"What the hell's going on?" He muttered. He heard a creaking of floor boards outside his open door, snapping him out of his thoughts. Ren peered around the door frame, wearing blue jeans and a plain white sweatshirt with bare feet. She beamed at the sight of Toshiro awake.

"Ah! You're awake!" Ren practically hopped into Toshiro's bedroom, closing the door a fraction, so that the hallway could still be seen.

"Ren…" Toshiro said in a tired voice.

"Still half asleep, huh?" Ren asked, pulling a chair up to Toshiro's bed and sitting down on it.

"A little." Toshiro confessed. "What happened to me?"

"Well, you passed out at school, so Ichigo and I took you back home in my car."

"Did your mother ask any questions?"

"Yup. I said "Don't worry, mom. Shiro's not dying. He's just a little tired fighting a monster"." Ren looked at Toshiro, and laughed at the look on his face. "Ha-ha-ha! I'm kidding, I'm kidding! I told her you were just taking a nap. And, boy, were you."

"Ren…" Toshiro groaned. "Please don't joke about something like that."

"Alright, I'm sorry." Ren apologised, still smiling.

"Ichigo. How is he?"

"He's fine. And so am I."

"That's good." Toshiro said, relieved. The sight of Ren being beaten to incapacitation by Dixie was rather worrying for him. In fact, he couldn't remember the last time he was that concerned.

"I got you some water." Ren said, handing Toshiro a glass of water from his bedside table.

"Thanks." Toshiro stopped thinking about that incident for one moment and took the glass from Ren. For some reason, he was absolutely parched. "Ren, what exactly happened? How did I get back to the school?"

"Back at the lido, I didn't see it all, but…how should I put this…someone came to help us."

"Really? Who?" Toshiro asked before taking a drink from the glass. He immediately felt better feeling the water go down his throat.

"His name was Ryuki." Ren answered. Hearing that name, Toshiro's eyes widened, and he was so surprised, he spat out what he was drinking in a great spray of water.

"What? Are you serious?" Toshiro asked, unable to hide his shock.

"Yeah. He beat Pixie, and he defeated Sentaro with one blow, and Sentaro disappeared after that. It's crazy, I know, but it's true. Apparently, when people of his level are defeated three times, their crest activates, and they're sent back to their home world without any knowledge of what has happened."

"Crests?"

"That's right. The crests of their organisation. They're called White Raven."

"White Raven?" Toshiro repeated. That was the name that Zena mentioned in their conversation the other day!

"Do you know anything about them, Shiro?"

"No." Toshiro answered, half lying. He couldn't tell Ren about Zena. If he did, then she would no longer be able to help them. "But, what about this Ryuki person?"

"I don't know the details. I was unconscious. But, I do know one thing." Ren looked at Toshiro directly in the face with a seriousness in her eyes that surprised him. "Ryuki can take control of you. That's why you don't remember what happened between the lido and the school; in that time, you were someone else."

"…" Toshiro turned away from Ren, trying to process what she had just said. He was controlled? He was someone else? It was just like Ren when Zena took over her body. But, he knew that Ren looked like Zena. As far as he knew, he didn't know Ryuki. But then again, it would make logical sense. After all, Zena mistook him for Ryuki.

"I think you might be like me." Ren said.

"Huh?" Toshiro gasped, looking back at Ren. "How…do you know that?"

_I didn't tell her anything._ Toshiro thought. _So, how can she say that?_

"Because we both look like someone that White Raven recognises. But, for some reason, White Raven is trying everything to kill you, while they're keeping me alive." Ren brought a fist up with a determined smile. "Don't you worry, Shiro! Until your powers return, you can consider me your own bodyguard! Oh, and Ichigo, too." Ren said the last part dismissively. With that said, Toshiro looked away from Ren, and instead stared at his hands. "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm just…I'm just ashamed of myself."

"Why?" Ren asked.

"Today, you and Ichigo ended up protecting me. You were willing to risk your life in place of my own. I'm grateful to you, but still…I was so much stronger than this. You shouldn't be the one to shoulder this burden of fighting an organisation. I should be fighting alongside you. Instead, what am I doing now? I'm lying in bed with no memory of what happened to me." Toshiro clenched his fist, clenching his bed sheets. "It's so humiliating."

"Shiro…" Ren started.

"But, I've made up my mind."

"Eh?" Ren blinked.

"Starting today, I am going to do everything I can to try and get my powers back. That way, I can join the fight with you. I don't want to sit on the side lines. I want to fight. And, most importantly…" Toshiro closed his eyes for a moment before opening them. This time he looked straight at Ren. "I want to help you, Ren. I may not remember what happened to me today, but what I do know is that you were the one who got Ryuki to show himself. I just know it."

"Hn. Ryuki did say something about determination bringing him out."

"Exactly." Toshiro agreed. "I remember thinking to myself how pathetic I was on the battle field. But, as soon as I thought about you, and how much I wanted to help…well, you know what happened. I may not have much power now, but just you wait. Soon, I will become strong enough to do something." Toshiro placed his fist over his heart just to prove how serious he was about what he was about to say next. "From now on, I will always protect you."

"…" Ren said nothing, a little taken aback. Sure, Toshiro was serious, but she had never seen him so sincere before. Thinking about it, she was just as serious about her commitment to Toshiro as he was to her. This gave her an idea. She reached out to Toshiro's fist and pulled it towards her.

"Ren, what're you…" Toshiro started, but before he could finish, Ren raised her hand up and interlocked her little finger with his.

"There."

"Huh?" Ren broke the link between them, still keeping her little finger up. Ren smiled her happy smiled.

"Now, we've made a promise. If we break it, then we have to swallow a thousand needles. That's how it goes, right?"

"I still don't follow you." Toshiro said slowly, wondering what exactly Ren was thinking.

"We made a pinkie swear!" Ren said happily. "The swear is that you will protect me, and I will protect you." Ren grinned. "This makes it official."

"…" Toshiro could only stare at Ren in speechless amazement. She can be so serious and mature sometimes, but other times, she was as innocent and naïve as a child. Truly, she was a very interesting girl.

"You really are something, Ren." Toshiro thought out loud, smiling. Ren stared blankly at Toshiro, and Toshiro couldn't tell if she was surprised or shocked. "What?"

"Ryuki, have you taken over Shiro again?" Ren suddenly asked.

"Wh-What?" Toshiro stammered. "No, it's me! Why would you think it was Ryuki?"

"You just smiled."

"So? Everyone smiles! It's a normal thing."

"Er…" Ren shifted her eyes away. "To be honest, that was the first time I saw you smile. I kinda thought you weren't the smiling type. What's the word? Tsundere?"

"Wha…Ichigo!" Toshiro called out to Ichigo, who was just passing the room. Surely, he could convince Ren that he was human, too.

"Eh?"

"Help me out here. Ren was convinced I was Ryuki when I smiled."

"You smiled?" Ichigo asked, surprised.

"What? You too?" Toshiro exclaimed.

"Well, you are a little stone faced." Ichigo said sheepishly. After that, Toshiro just gave up and, with a groan, grabbed his covers and collapsed back on his bed, pulling the duvet over his head.

"You are aware that you're about to fall asleep in your uniform, right?" Ren asked.

"Don't care." Toshiro's muffled voice said. What had happened to the serious mood that was here less than a moment ago?

"Toshiro, you're acting like a kid. And you hate acting like a kid."

"I'm not a kid. And it's Captain Hitsugaya."

"Whatever."

"We'll let you get some rest. You need it." Ren stood up and gently moved Ichigo out the room. "Dinner's in about an hour."

"Sure."

"…" Ren smiled a little. It may have been weird to see Toshiro smile, but for some reason, it made her happy to see that smiling face. Moreover, she wanted to see it even more often now that she knew how much softer and kinder Toshiro looked when he smiled. Still thinking about his smile, Ren closed the door behind her. But, she remembered one final thing, and re-entered the door to a Toshiro who was still under his covers.

"By the way, I forgot to mention. The person I look like; her name is Zena."

"…" Toshiro said nothing after hearing that familiar name for fear of giving anything away. But, at least it was one less thing he had to hide from Ren.

"And she's the princess of her home world." Ren finished, re-closing the door and making her way downstairs.

"She's what?" Toshiro gasped, sitting up abruptly, but Ren was gone. "Ren?" No response. "Damn…" Toshiro cursed. Could this have been something that Zena held back from him the day before? In fact, why was she holding it back in the first place? Toshiro threw the covers off and got up out of bed. He was going to get some answers.

"Hey!" He called out. "I know you're there! Show yourself!" Silence. For a moment, Toshiro thought Zena wouldn't come, but after a few seconds, the ghostly form of Zena appeared in his room, wearing the same white top and jeans as Ren.

"I didn't think you would be able to sense me." Zena said simply.

"I can't. I just guessed you would be there. Besides, I have a few things to ask you…" Toshiro folded his arms. "Princess Zena."

"…" Zena looked away, unable to look at Toshiro. After all, he had an expression on his face that seemed to say "I've got you now".

"Why did you hide it?" Toshiro asked.

"Well…" Zena started. She turned back to Toshiro. "I just didn't think it was that important." She suddenly said, an all-too-familiar innocent look on her face. Toshiro sweat dropped.

_All this time I thought Zena and Ren were different._ He thought.

"Anyway…" Toshiro said, recovering from the revelation of Ren and Zena's similarities. "Ren told me that you are a princess, as you probably already know." Zena nodded. "But, she found this out from someone else. Someone I'm sure you know."

"Who?" Zena asked, stunning Toshiro a little. She didn't know? But, he thought that she was always observing. I guess he was wrong in that area.

"It was Ryuki."

"Ryuki?" Zena gasped, wide eyed. "But…this is impossible. He shouldn't be able to interact with Earth."

"Well, you can, so why not Ryuki?" Toshiro asked. "If you're wondering how Ryuki was able to appear here, it was through me."

"What?"

"I don't remember anything, however. Don't bother asking me what happened."

"Wait…let me get this straight." Zena said, rubbing her forehead. "Ryuki took control of you?" Toshiro nodded in the affirmative. "Makes sense; you two do look similar. But…" Zena looked back at Toshiro. "Can I check something?"

"Yes. What is it?"

"Um…" Zena scratched her face, a little embarrassed. "Could you take off your shirt?"

"…" Toshiro stared at Zena, a blank look on his face. "Um…"

"Ryuki has two markings on his back, just like Ren. I need to check if you have them."

"Less awkward." Toshiro pulled off his tie and was about to unbutton his shirt, but paused. "Could you turn around?"

"Oh! Right!" Zena quickly turned around. Toshiro then unbuttoned his shirt. It was amazing how similar Zena and Ren were. Almost like they were twins. How odd.

"I'm done." Toshiro said, turning around so that his back faced Zena. Zena turned back around and looked at Toshiro's back. There was nothing there. Not even a single scar. It was like looking at a blank canvas. "Well?"

"Nothing. You can put it back on now." Toshiro quickly complied. "Do you know if Ryuki used any of his powers?"

"I already told you I don't remember."

"I see." Zena said thoughtfully. She was silent for several seconds. In those seconds, she mentally searched the house for Ren. She found her. She entered into her mind and found her memories of the day. There, she saw everything to do with Ryuki. His battle with Dixie. The conversation in the common room. His display of power in front of a Feather. Even when he defeated Sentaro. But, what struck Zena the most was the conversation between Ryuki and Ren.

"_I'm sorry but…I'm not Zena."_

"_Oh."_ That disappointed tone, and the sad face that matched, hurt Zena so much that it broke her heart. She had hardly ever seen Ryuki look so sad. But, she had to tell Toshiro what she now knew. In one instant, she left Ren's head and turned back to Toshiro.

"Ryuki used his powers while controlling you." Zena stated.

"He did?" Toshiro went wide eyed hearing that news. "Hold on, how did you find that out? Did you read someone's mind?"

"Yuh huh."

"Figures." Toshiro muttered. After all, Ren had used the same ability unintentionally a few days before. "So…Ryuki used his powers?" Toshiro said, going over what he had found out.

"Yes."

"And he controlled me."

"Yes."

"And you can control Ren."

"Correct."

"And she is gaining your powers."

"That's right." It didn't take Toshiro long to put the pieces together.

"Does that mean that…Will I gain Ryuki's powers?"

"I'm not sure. And that's the truth." Zena said the last part quickly just so Toshiro knew she wasn't holding anything back. "If you do, then you will be able to fight back. After all, I am fully aware of how you lost your powers."

"That…reminds me. Do you happen to know how I can get my powers back?"

"Not exactly."

"…" Toshiro looked away, frustrated.

"But…I do have an idea." Zena held a hand up. A teardrop shape hovered in her palm, gradually getting bigger, until in a small flash, it turned into a gem with a golden back and an amber stone. Zena held it down to Toshiro's level. "Take it."

"My hand won't go through you, will it?" Toshiro asked. Common sense told him that his hand will probably just pass through the gem.

"Trust me." Zena responded. Toshiro couldn't bring himself to trust the spirit that much. After all, she had hidden from him the fact that she was a princess. But, this was a chance for him to get his powers back. And a chance for him to be able to protect Ren. With this in mind, Toshiro reached out and grabbed the gem. It turned solid on contact, and next thing Toshiro knew, he was staring at a gem no bigger than the palm of his hand.

"That stone is called an Amber. We use it to strengthen a child's powers when they refuse to grow. Keep it on you, and over time, your powers will gradually come back. In about a few days' time, you should be able to cast your spells without needing the contact of Ren, until eventually..."

"I can exit my Gigai." Toshiro finished.

"If you use that stone, then your body will be controlled by a secondary soul that is made to match your personality so that nobody will be suspicious."

"Almost like Ichigo's substitute badge." Toshiro muttered, not taking his eyes away from the Amber. The gem was reflecting his face, and the other end of the Amber was flat and felt cold to the touch. He clenched it in his hand. "Thank you for this, Zena. I really appreciate it."

"It was nothing." Zena smiled. "Your determination to protect Ren reminds me of Ryuki."

"Yeah, about that. Who is Ryuki?" Toshiro pocketed the Amber. "Tell me." Zena's smiled faded. She turned away sadly.

"Ryuki is…was my Heavenly Guardian. My bodyguard. He was a captain of the Royal Guard; one of the strongest, in fact. I knew him since we were children. He…" Zena smiled fondly as she remembered Ryuki. "He was my best friend."

"And I'm similar to him how?" Toshiro pressed Zena to put his doubts at ease.

"Your personalities are completely opposite, so the only obvious resemblance is your appearance. Although, Ryuki's hair is a little longer."

"Huh. No wonder Ren thought I was Ryuki when I smiled."

"But…You two are somewhat similar."

"How so?" Toshiro asked, now genuinely curious.

"Well, you're brave, courageous, determined, not afraid to fight, loyal and…kind."

"Shiro! Can you come down here for a minute?"

"C-Coming!" Toshiro yelled back. "Sorry, I have to go." Toshiro opened his door to leave, but before closing it, poked his head back around. "Once again, thank you for what you've done." With that, Toshiro closed the door behind him. Zena smiled again.

"I suppose Ryuki is closer than I thought."

…

"What is it, Ren?" Toshiro asked, entering Ren's study. She was stood on s small chair, and even though she was standing on her toes, she could not reach the top shelf.

"Yeah, can you help me out here? I can't reach the shelf."

"Hm?" Toshiro looked up at what Ren was trying to reach. It was the box that she had placed out of his reach the day before. "Why do you need that?"

"It's complicated. Now, help me out."

"Wait, how can you not reach it when you could put it up there so easily?" Toshiro questioned, suspicious.

"I don't know! Now, unless the next words to come out of your mouth are ideas, shut up."

_She's so demanding_. Toshiro thought, glancing up.

"Ah! Got it!" Ren got down from the chair, the box balanced on her head. She dropped it on the ground heavily. "There!" She stared down at it, her hands on her hips. After a few seconds, she took an A4 sized envelope from her desk and dropped it inside. Then, she picked it up again, stood on the chair, and placed it back on the shelf.

"Why did you call me again?" Toshiro asked.

"I thought I might need your help."

"How can I reach that?" Toshiro almost exclaimed. Ren shrugged, making an "I dunno" noise. "Urgh, sometimes I wonder about you, Ren."

"So do I." Ren admitted.

"Ren, what…What exactly is in that box?" Toshiro dared to ask.

"As I said, it's complicated. Anyway, there is a genuine reason I called you down." Ren said, changing the subject

"So you're not wasting my time?"

"No. Here." Ren outstretched her hand to Toshiro. In her hand was her grey phone, which still had the frog bell on it.

"Isn't this you're...?"

"My old phone, yes. My new phone was going through an upgrade, so I was using that one, but you can have it now."

"Where's the key pad?" Toshiro asked, pulling on both ends to see if it slid out.

"It's touch screen. Press that button on the top, and you can do whatever you want on it. It has all the basics you need. My number is on speed dial; just hold down two and it'll ring me. This way, if we end up separated somehow, and one of us runs into trouble, we can call one another."

"You…You've really thought this through, haven't you?"

"I'm not as dumb as I look!" Ren said cheerfully, smiling her usual smile.

"Yeah, sure…" Toshiro said absentmindedly, looking back up at the cardboard box. What was in there? He knew he shouldn't pry, but he had to find out. Ren was hiding something from him, and he wanted to know what. And why. But, she did say "It's complicated", so maybe the box was related to that?

"Hm?" Ren noticed how Toshiro was staring at the box. "You can't look at that. Not yet."

"Huh?"

"The box. I'm not showing you what's in there."

"Why? What's in there that's so secret?"

"The less you know, the better, Shiro."

"But-"

"Ren, I need a hand in here! I can't find the wooden spoon!"

"Oh, look, mum lost something. I'll go help her. We'll continue this conversation never." Ren said quickly, leaving the room before Toshiro had time to say anything in protest. All he could do was stutter incomprehensible words while she left. His arms hung by his side as he sighed.

"This girl…" Toshiro grumbled. There was no talking to her sometimes. Pocketing the phone, Toshiro stared up at the box again. Even though Ren was keeping it secret, it made him even more curious about what was in there. And, it was clear that he was going to have to do some detective work to figure Ren out. After all, she hardly ever gave him a straight answer; she just dodges the question like she did earlier.

"How am I going to get up there?" Toshiro asked nobody. He knew that the white chair Ren used wouldn't do any good. He was smaller than her, and that chair was tiny. No, he'd need something bigger. Perhaps the chair by her desk? But it's a spinning chair, so using that would be dangerous. He glanced left and right, trying to find something that would help and not injure him. Then he saw the piano stool in front of the dark brown piano. Perfect. But, Ren was just next door. She might overhear what is happening. For now, he'll have o wait for the right opportunity to get the box and search through it, like when Ren is out of the house. That way, he can put it back before she comes back home and prevent suspicion.

"Alright. I have a plan. All I have to do is wait."

Later that night, 11PM

Toshiro stared up at the night sky, sitting on the roof of Ren's house. It had taken him a while to find a way up here, but now that he found it, it felt good to look up at the stars. He couldn't explain it; it just made him feel at ease watching them. And after the day he and Ren had, let's face it, he needed this. Even still, he couldn't help but wonder what powers Ryuki used while in his body. Would he gain them too? And the markings on Ren's back. What were they for? And why were they there in the first place? Why did Toshiro loose his powers? Will the Amber help him get them back? What does White Raven want? And are Ren and Toshiro really that much of a threat?

"Damn..." Toshiro sighed, lounging on his back and linking his hands behind his head. To top it off, Ren was hiding something from him. How can he trust someone who was keeping secrets from him? Then again, Toshiro was keeping things from her, so he really couldn't complain.

"Ugh, this is turning into a huge mess." Toshiro groaned, running his fingers through his white hair. "What have I got myself into?" Toshiro heard a door open. He sat up and looked down at the ground. A little light was being shed on the dark ground.

"Hold on, I'm running out of signal. Let me go outside."

"That sounds like Ren." Toshiro scrambled over the roof and hid behind it, peering over the top. "Why am I hiding?" He muttered, sweat dropping.

"Ah, that's better." Toshiro saw Ren come into view on the lawn, talking into her mobile phone. "So, what's the problem, Steph?... Huh?...Are you sure?...THAT Nathan?...Where did you hear this?...Huh. I guess that makes sense. But, why now? It's been too long. I've put it all behind me...I'm not worried about me, I'm worried about the department."

_Department?_ Toshiro thought. _Sounds suspicious._

"Why? That bastard has a record of tormenting the disabilities department at school. And now that he's coming back, well, you know...No, I won't let him know. I'll only tell him I'm that department's prefect if it comes to it. I have the gown, so I have the responsibility. Well, some of it."

_So that's what that black thing she wears is for. _Toshiro thought. _She's a prefect._

"No, it's pointless telling the teachers. They never listened to me in the past, so there's no reason why they would now. Nathan's smart, and he's got those lackeys of his; he'll think of something to cover his sorry ass. Besides, Mr Watson already has his tabs on him. He's caused a lot of trouble before, and I'm sure he'll ruffle up some feathers in the common room...Don't worry about me, Steph. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I'm not the cry-baby I was before...No, I won't tell Shiro. He's got enough on his mind, and I have and all. He's not disabled like the department, so Nathan probably won't target him. If he does, I'll sort him out...Yeah, I know he might target me if I get involved, but I can't not get involved. That's not how I roll. My priority is those kids...So, he's coming tomorrow?...The transfer is effective immediately, huh? I'm surprised he even got in."

"..." Toshiro didn't say a word throughout the conversation. Who is this Nathan? He was clearly someone from Ren's past; a past that he was trying to dig up. Could he have been one of the bullies Steph mentioned to him? But, Ren had been speaking in a serious tone throughout. Whatever happened between her and Nathan, it was big, and Toshiro wasn't sure if he should do something or not.

"Alright, thanks for telling me. I appreciate it. Man, if I see him tomorrow it's gonna be hell. Oh, who am I kidding, it's inevitable...No, Steph. I can't run from him forever. I have to face my demons some time. Everyone has to...Okay, I'll see you later. Bye." Ren hung up a phone and, with a sigh, put it back in her jeans pocket and walked back into the house, kicking off her blue Crocs in the process. The door closed, and the light on the lawn was gone. Toshiro was alone again.

"Great. Something else she's going to keep from me." Toshiro stood up and walked down the roof, jumping down on the low ledge just outside the room of her parents. Luckily, her mother was downstairs, so he could walk across it without a problem. He jumped down from the ledge again, landing on the hard ground without any effort. He may have lost his powers as a Soul Reaper, but that didn't mean he'd lose his agility. Standing up, he walked back into the house, trying to look as though he hadn't overheard anything.

"Oh, hi, Shiro." Ren said happily, seeing Toshiro walk through the back door. "Where did you go?"

"Walk." Toshiro said, saying the first thing that popped into his head.

"Yeah, that's a good idea. After passing out twice in one day, I'd say a walk would be good for you."

"..." Toshiro secretly scowled to himself as he pulled off his shoes, throwing each one on the ground by the other pairs of shoes. Ren seemed so troubled before, yet here she was now, smiling her happy smile as if nothing was wrong. Is she always like this? Does she hide everything with a smile? If so, then just what is she holding back that's so bad?

"So, are you feeling any better?"

"I'm fine." Toshiro walked past Ren, his hands in his pockets. He made his way to the stairs, but Ren still followed him.

"Well, if you need anything, just let me know, 'kay?"

"I told you, I'm fine now. Just leave me alone." Toshiro snapped, sounding more impatient than he intended. Seeing the look on Ren's face, he felt guilty right away. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap. I'm just..."

"Tired?" Ren suggested.

"That, yes."

"Okay." Ren smiled happily again.

_Once, again, she lets something slide too easily_. Toshiro thought to himself. He walked up the stairs, though Ren remained downstairs.

"Oh, and Shiro?"

"Yes?" Toshiro stopped, halfway up the stairs.

"If something does happen, you will let me know right? I mean, about White Raven."

"Of course. And you?"

"Yeah. I think it's important that we are honest with each other in this matter."

"That's a little hypocritical." Toshiro muttered.

"Sorry, I didn't catch that."

"Nothing." Toshiro said quickly, unable to believe he would say something like that out in the open.

"_Long time no see, Conner."_

"Huh?" Toshiro blinked. What was that voice in his head just now?

"Shiro?" Ren peered up at Toshiro, who looked a little stunned. "Is something wrong?"

"Uh...Um...No." Toshiro eventually answered. "I was-" Toshiro's eyes suddenly widened. He saw something flash through his mind. It was almost an instant. It was a boy Ren's age with spiky blonde hair and a sneer that was close to a smirk.

_Who is that?_ Toshiro thought. Before he could think about that question, he saw another image. The same boy was standing with his hands in his pocket, with a group of teenagers behind him, and Ren was glaring at him in the face, showing no signs of fear, and all of them were wearing the school uniform, so Toshiro knew it was at school. Another image. This time, Ren was collapsed on the ground, surrounded by broken china and food, rubbing her head and left leg. Then there was one final image that seemed to shock Toshiro the most. It was Ren again but this time, she was not smiling, in pain or glaring at someone. She was kneeling on the ground, and rubbing at her face with her fists. Toshiro gasped upon seeing her face. Ren was crying.

"Shiro?" Ren said, snapping Toshiro out of the visions. "Are you alright?"

"I..." Toshiro started, but in his shock, he couldn't finish his sentence. What the hell was that just now? "See you in the morning!" Toshiro said quickly, running up the stairs to his room, and ignoring the concerned protests of Ren, he closed the door behind him, leaning his back against it. After taking a moment to calm down, Toshiro realised that he had acted like someone who had seen a ghost. But, after what he had just seen, who wouldn't? A blonde haired boy, Ren confronting him, Ren injured, and Ren crying. Was she even capable of crying? He'd always seen her with a smile on her face, even if some of them seemed fake to him.

"No." Toshiro shook his head. "I was just imagining it. Yeah, that's it. I imagined it. There's no way Ren would cry. I must be tired." But, no matter how much Toshiro tried to reassure himself, he couldn't shake the nagging feeling that what he saw wasn't his imagination.

Meanwhile, outside of Toshiro's window, there was a shadow. A hooded figure from before was watching Toshiro, and had heard every word of what he was saying to himself. The shadow jumped down and almost seemed to float back onto the ground, allowing them to land on the ground with barely a sound.

"Interesting." The figure said, pulling down their hood. It was Gotam. "It seems that I was right. I must tell the leader."

"You called?" The hooded leader suddenly appeared before Gotam, but he didn't appear surprised at all at his sudden appearance.

"I was correct. He hasn't been through an awakening, but he is already gaining Ryuki's powers. Just now, he experienced a Premonition, but it seems like he has no control over it."

"Does he remember?"

"He does."

"I see. So it really isn't an awakening. And, he looks like Ryuki. The resemblance is uncanny."

"What do we do?" Gotam asked.

"We do nothing about the girl. It's the boy I'm worried about. Get him alone. Then, we'll make our move."

"Understood." Gotam nodded. The two men simultaneously looked up at Toshiro's window. He briefly came into view, rubbing his head. He then closed the curtains, cutting their view of him.

"We face them tomorrow." The leader concluded. Gotam nodded, and the two of them disappeared from that spot noiselessly.

**There you have it, guys! Toshiro has a way of getting his powers back. But, Ryuki's powers are showing up, too. And now, there are now even more reasons to make him a target. What will happen? Who is Nathan? Will Toshiro's premonitions come true? Find out in the next chapter! And a happy Easter to you all!**


	12. Ren to the Rescue

**Hiya! Did you all have a good Easter? I know I did. Chocolate! One word; yum! But, it looks like Ren isn't going to have a good day today; an old...ahem... "friend" from the past has come back, and she isn't too eager to meet him again. But, Toshiro has also had a few premonitions about Nathan and Ren. Are they fake, or can our white haired captain really see into the future? Let's find out now!**

Chapter 10

Ren to the Rescue

"Uuuu..." Ren groaned, a tired look on her face. She was dragging her feet with her arms hanging by her side and her bag barely hanging off her shoulder. She knew that this confrontation with Nathan was inevitable, and she knew how to handle it, but something about her wanted to delay the meeting of fate as much as possible. Toshiro and Ichigo, however, were already outside the common room door, yet Ren was several metres away from them.

"Hurry up, Ren. You're going to be late."

"No I'm not, Ichigo." Ren said in retaliation. "Registration isn't for fifteen minutes." Ren finally reached the two boys and sighed, hanging her head.

"What up with you?"

"Tired." Ren lied, saying the first excuse that came up in her mind.

_That's not it. _Toshiro thought_. You're worried about something. That Nathan boy...you don't want to see him, do you? Why is that? And...Why won't you tell me?_ Toshiro looked up at Ren, who was staring at the door as if staring at it will make it disappear. _You can trust me. We promised to help one another, so why won't you let me help?_

"Well...here I go." Ren reached out to the door handle and clenched it. After hesitating, she took a deep breath and opened it, stepping into the room. "Morni-" Ren as interrupted as soon as a book was thrown at the wall, barely missing her. "Hey, who threw that?" Ren yelled. "Oh..." Ren immediately went calm after seeing the problem. Tom was glaring angrily at a boy sitting in front of him. A boy with blonde, spiky hair. Ren couldn't see the face, but she could recognise the hair anywhere. It was Nathan. And he was clearly causing trouble by opening up old wounds; there was an audience around the confrontation and everything.

"Say that again and you're dead!" Tom growled. Nathan, however, was unperturbed. He merely crossed his legs and smirked.

"Why? It's a free country. I can say what I want."

"You know just how to cross the line, don't you?"

"Geez..." Ren sighed. She dropped her bag by the bag racks and walked towards Tom. She eased her way through the crowd and gently pushed Tom away while keeping her back to Nathan. "That's enough, Tom. Don't go getting into a fight so early in the morning." She said sternly but gently at the same time.

"Ren..." Tom started, still a little angry, but after a while, he looked away and backed away from Ren, although his fists were still clenched.

"Ren?" Nathan raised an eyebrow and frowned at the familiar name. That frown soon turned into a smile. "Ah! Ren!" Nathan stood up with his hands in his pocket. Ren turned around to face him. He was every inch of how she remembered him; the unkept hair, the white trainers, the untucked shirt, everything about him was exactly the same as it was all those years ago.

"Good morning, Nathan." Ren said politely, though it didn't stop her from putting a hint of a mocking tone in her voice.

"Ren?" Toshiro cautiously stepped into the common room, observing the crowd that was behind Ren, and how she stared up at the boy who was a good two or one and a half feet taller than her.

"Long time no see, Conner."

"!" Toshiro's eyes widened at those familiar words.

"_Long time no see, Conner."_

_That's what I heard yesterday_. Toshiro thought, his eyes shining. _So it was Nathan who said that. But, does that mean...?_ Toshiro thought back to the other visions, particularly of Ren crying. _Were those premonitions?_

"Toshiro? What's wrong?" Ichigo asked, noticing how he wasn't moving.

_I can't let that happen_. A determined look in his eyes, Toshiro walked straight towards the crowd, with a reluctant Ichigo following. Toshiro squeezed through the people until he was in front of them all. He was now looking at Ren's back and Nathan, who had a sneer that was close to a smirk on his face. The same face that Toshiro saw in his vision. _Let's see what happens._ Toshiro thought, narrowing his eyes. _How will you act, Ren?_

"Yes, it has been a long time." Ren said, her face expressionless. "Nearly three years."

"This place is still the crap hole it used to be."

"I suppose it's rather fitting for somebody like you."

"Oh? Pretty big talk coming from a blonde dimwit."

"Pretty big talk coming from a guy with more brawn than brain. And may I point out that you also have blonde hair?"

"Oho! You've grown up, Ren." Nathan said, never losing the smirk on his face.

"And I see you haven't. You had to run to your mummy so that you could come back to this school. Wasn't your last one good enough for you?"

"Nah. Nothing wrong with taking a trip down memory lane..." Nathan shifted his eyes to Tom. "Right, Tommy?"

"He's had his turn." Ren said quickly, sensing Tom tense up as though ready to fight. "It's just like you to put salt on old wounds, so are you going to do the same to me? After all, I was your favourite. Am I right?"

"Oh, yes, you were. You still are." Nathan reached out and stroked a finger down Ren's cheek, although there was no hint of gentleness in the gesture. "Especially now that you've become such a beautiful young woman. It's too bad that you cut your hair. It was so beautiful long." Ren slapped Nathan's hand away.

"Don't waste your pretty words on me. I don't think you know this, but your words won't hurt me as well as they used to."

"Clearly. I've been trash talking all the way through, and nothing. Impressive." Nathan leaned down to Ren's ear level, but Toshiro was close by, so he could hear everything he said, and he'd be lying if he said it didn't confuse him. "I guess your face is still a mask. Always has been. Always will be."

"Yeah." Ren responded. "I guess it is. But, I can act, you know. I can change my expression anytime I want, just like you guys." Ren placed a finger on Nathan's forehead and pushed him back up. "And here's an expression for you. Nyah!" Ren stuck her tongue out at Nathan and pulled down an eyelid.

"You cheeky mare." Nathan shook his head, still smiling. "Nothing gets to you, does it?"

"Not everything." Ren said, shrugging modestly. "If you push the right buttons, you might see the other side of me. And spoiler warnings, it's not gonna be pretty."

"She's just standing there and taking it." Ichigo said. "This guy's throwing insult after insult, and she isn't even taking the bait."

"That's Ren." A sixth former said, over hearing Ichigo. "She used to be so hot tempered; the smallest thing could get her angry. Now, she's as mild mannered as you get."

"Hm?" Toshiro raised an eyebrow at that statement. "Well, I've seen her get angry a few times over small things."

"Of course. You two are family."

"So...what changed, Ren? What happened to my fiery girl?" Nathan asked.

"Excuse me?" Ren said, narrowing her eyes a little. "I don't remember ever being your girl. You're totally not my type."

"You still talk like an American? I guess some things never change."

"And I guess we're done talking." Ren said, looking to her left at the clock on the wall. It was just a little before eight thirty. "Registration is in five minutes. I shall be seeing you." Ren started to walk past Nathan, but he placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her in her tracks. Toshiro felt himself unconsciously clench his fists.

"Don't think you can get away that easily." Nathan's smirk was gone. Instead, it was an angry frown. "It's your fault I was kicked out of this school in the first place. Well, now I'm back. The boys and I weren't too pleased with what you did. Nobody likes a tattler, after all."

"I'd say I did everyone a favour when you got expelled. Now, let me go, or else I'll do everyone in this room another favour by decking you right here and now."

"You don't have the guts."

_If you were a Feather, you'd be dog meat by now._ Ren thought angrily.

"True. We are on school property. But be warned; push my buttons, and watch the heads turn."

"Hmph. Excuses. I see you're still the cowardly cry-baby you used to be when we were kids. So what will you do now? Cry to the teacher like you always did? I thought you were better than that, Ren."

"That has nothing to do with anything." Ren said, closing her eyes to control herself. She wanted to punch him in the face so badly, but right now, it was taking everything in her to hold back. Besides, sometimes, it was better to do nothing than something. "That was then, and this is now. Speaking of now, I'd appreciate it if you let go of me now."

"Make me." Nathan challenged.

_That does it!_ Toshiro strode forwards and grabbed Nathan's arm. He glanced at Toshiro, who glared up at him. Ren, in return, was also a little surprised by Toshiro's intervention.

"She said let go." He said fiercely. "And I suggest you do what she says."

"Huh." Nathan's smirk returned out of amusement, and he let go of Ren, although Toshiro kept his grip on his arm. "I didn't know you had a little brother, Ren."

"He's my cousin." Ren turned around to face Nathan. "And he's the same age as me."

"Really? I guess people of short stature runs through the family."

"I'm not short. I'm average." Ren grumbled.

"So then, kiddo, why the fierce attitude all of a sudden?" Nathan asked, ruffling Toshiro's hair. Toshiro responded by gripping Nathan's arm so hard, Nathan flinched.

"You've said what you wanted to say, right? So get out of our sight, before I make your big nose even bigger."

"You heard him. Do one." Ren pointed at the door. "There's the door."

"..." Nathan glared at the faces of Toshiro and Ren angrily. "Tch." Nathan forced Toshiro's grip off his arm, clutching it. Before leaving, he pointed at his eyes, then at Ren and Toshiro, before turning around and leaving the common room, but not without slamming the door. Silence.

"Well...I'm glad I got that out of the way." Ren sighed. "Don't we all have somewhere to be?" Ren asked the spectators. With that, they all dispersed and went on their way, chattering among themselves. All except Ichigo, who joined Toshiro by his side.

"Nicely handled, Ren."

"Thanks, Ichigo."

"So, what's the deal between you two?" Toshiro asked, curious about how Ren and Nathan knew one another.

"We knew each other since we were kids. And, well, let's just say that we have an unpleasant history."

"I noticed." Toshio muttered.

"Ichigo, do you know where your form room is?" Ren asked, moving the topic swiftly on.

"He's not in our form?"

"No. He's fifteen, so I put him with the year ten's."

"But what if the Fea-" Toshiro just about stopped himself from saying Feathers.

"I gave him my mobile number. And, I have his. Plus, we have frees, so if we need to discuss something or fight anyone, or anything, we can find his classroom and pick him up. But, if you don't like Ichigo being in year ten, I could always change it."

"No." Toshiro shook his head. "Keep it like this for now."

_Idiot..._Toshiro thought.

"Alright, see you later." Ichigo waved over his shoulder and, slinging his blue bag over his shoulder, Ichigo walked off.

"Ren...you and Nathan..."

"Shiro, listen." Ren said, interrupting Toshiro. "I know you were trying to help, but you shouldn't make a fist in something that isn't your fight."

"Are you telling me to stay out of it?"

"Exactly. I'm grateful, but you've got to understand, Shiro. You can't help me. Not right now, anyway." Ren walked away from Toshiro, picking up her shoulder bag when arriving at the bag racks.

"Wait, so what about that promise we made to one another? Am I supposed to forget about that?" Toshiro demanded, feeling himself get angry at Ren's order. She made the promise too, and now she was just dismissing it as though it were nothing? She had some nerve!

"No. We can help one another in fighting the Feathers and White Raven, but right now...I can't see how you can help me. It's my fight, and I want to fight it alone." Ren slung her bag on her shoulder and walked past Toshiro towards the door.

"Don't think you can keep it secret from me. I'm going to find out sooner or later."

"It's none of your business, Shiro." Toshiro growled and clenched his fists, furious that Ren thinks she can order him around like that.

"Well, at least I don't read books about women from other planets!" Toshiro yelled without thinking. Immediately, Toshiro covered his mouth, mentally slapping himself for his stupidity and his immaturity. Ren stopped walking, her hand inches away from the door handle. What followed after Toshiro's outburst was an extremely tense silence.

"What did you say?" Ren asked without turning around. Toshiro heard the hint of anger in her voice. It was the same as in the shop and after the English lesson. Toshiro was immediately reminded of what Steph said to him.

"_When someone mentions that subject around her, she gets angry. Scarily angry. Even in situations that are nothing to do with what she has."_

"_But, as soon as you see her like that, don't cross the line any further. As she says, it's complicated."_

"I..." Toshiro started, hesitating about his response. After all, he had to choose his words carefully. One wrong move, and who knows what Ren might be capable of. "You know what I said."

"I guess I do." Ren said slowly. Gradually, her bag slipped off her shoulder, until it slid down her arm and on the ground. There was another silence, and Toshiro found himself feeling incredibly nervous, but he couldn't quite understand why. Swallowing his nerves, Toshiro slowly walked up to Ren, until he was just inches from her.

"Look, I-" But, Toshiro never got a chance to finish his sentence. Ren looked over her shoulder, and Toshiro saw a flash of anger in her eyes before Ren grabbed him by the front of his shirt with one hand, and pinned him against the wall with her other arm so hard, Toshiro felt his feet leave the ground. "H-Hey! Let me down! What are you doing? Ren! Why are you acting like this?" While Toshiro struggled and protested, Ren remained motionless, her hair hiding her eyes in shadows. "I want to get some damn answers! I'm trying to help you here but you keep shutting me out! I'm sick of you hiding things from me!"

"But, what about you, Shiro?" Ren asked with an eerie calmness in her voice that shut Toshiro up right away. It was a kind of calm that gave the impression Ren would go berserk at any minute. "Aren't you hiding things from me?"

"N-No! I'm not!"

"Really? You're not hiding anything from me?"

"No. Now can you please let me-"

"You're a liar."

"Wh...What?" Toshiro said, a little confused. "Ren, I'm not lying."

"Yes you are!" Ren yelled, a wild look in her eyes. That look made Toshiro go wide eyed. He was so stunned, in fact, that Toshiro didn't even notice that his hand was shaking. "You said earlier that I read books about women from another planet. I don't remember mentioning anything like that. It was a book I kept in that box. A box that you said you hadn't seen anything suspicious in. You lied about seeing nothing. Therefore, you're a liar."

"So...So what if I saw that book? I was tiding up after you carelessly knocked it over. And that's the truth. Why do you even have that box?"

"Everybody has their secrets, Shiro. Don't you have secrets?"

"..." Toshiro looked down, realising that Ren was right. He had no right to question the secrets Ren kept from him when he was keeping things from her at the same time.

"Just like you have secrets, so do I. Let's just keep it that way for now, okay?"

"Y...Yeah." Toshiro eventually said. With that, Ren let Toshiro's shirt go and removed her arm from his body, letting him slid back onto his feet. While Toshiro still recovered from that confrontation, Ren picked up her bag and left the room without saying a word, leaving Toshiro alone.

"I get the feeling I've met a dangerous person." Toshiro said out loud. He folded his arms. "But, what is there to get so angry about? I'll have to go deeper. Her friends are keeping tight lipped about her, and now that Ren's reacted like that, she's going to be even more careful. Wait a minute..."

_"Why? That bastard has a record of tormenting the disabilities department at school. And now that he's coming back, well, you know...No, I won't let him know. I'll only tell him I'm that department's prefect if it comes to it. I have the gown, so I have the responsibility. Well, some of it."_

"Ren said she is the prefect of the disabilities department in this school. Maybe the two are connected somehow. Ah, I need time to think." With that, Toshiro walked outside the common room and through the gate and outside the school. Pulling off his necktie, Toshiro walked down the path, placing his hands in his pockets, along with his tie. He was not in the mood to face Ren after what just happened, and was equally not in the mood for a lesson on politics.

Little did Toshiro know, there were several silhouettes watching Toshiro walk out of the school. They hid in the shadows, invisible to all.

"Leader, he's on the move." Gotam said, pulling down his hood.

"Perfect." The leader said. "We'll wait until he's somewhere more open." He looked behind him at the other hooded figures. "Prepare the Battle Barrier."

"Yes, Leader."

...

Half an hour later

"Heya." Ren said, entering the common room again. She threw her bag on the nearest chair and sat down next to Steph.

"Well, somebody's feeling glum. Nathan?"

"Nathan." Ren nodded. Ren linked her hands on her lap, deep in thought. Toshiro had seen one book from her box. It probably wasn't much, but it still meant something to her. One false move and Toshiro would know everything about her before she'd even said a word. Why couldn't boys just be patient?

"So what's up with you and Toshiro? Isn't he with you?"

"I don't know where he is." Ren lounged back on her chair, staring up at the ceiling. "He mentioned something about you-know-what and...well..."

"You snapped, didn't you?"

"Yeah..." Ren said slowly.

"Are you going to apologise?"

"Of course. If I know where he is." Ren sat up and stood up out of her chair. "Right. I'm going to go look for him."

"What about class?"

"Free period."

"But after that you have life lear-"

"You-know-what."

"Right." Immediately after Steph said this, Ren's phone rang in the Caramelldansen ringtone

"Eh?" Ren placed her hand in her blazer pocket and took out her phone. "It's Shiro!" Ren tapped at the touch screen phone and brought it to her ear. "Whaddup." She was silent for a few seconds. Her eyes widened.

"Ren?" Steph said. Ren didn't answer. She immediately dialled her phone and held it up to her ear again.

"Ichigo. Common room. Now." Ren said urgently, and just like that, she hung up.

"What is it, Ren?"

"No time to explain. Gotta get moving." Ren responded, fidgeting nervously. "I'm getting a bad feeling about this. This is bad, very bad." Within seconds, Ichigo ran into the common room.

"I came as soon as you called. What's the matter?" Ichigo asked.

"It's Shiro. He needs us!"

"Is it White Raven?"

"Listen." With a couple of taps of her screen, Ren replayed the phone call Toshiro gave just a few seconds ago.

"Ren, get over here! It's White Raven! There are twelve of them! And they've brought Feathers with them! I'm at...um...I don't know where I am! There's a...uh...a river! And some kind of boat...I think it's a floating restaurant or something! Hurry! I can't hold out much longer!"

"There you are!"

"Dammit!" There was a click and the recording ended. Ichigo was utterly speechless. He'd never heard Toshiro sound so panicked before. He'd always been so calm and collected. Well, most of the time.

"No time to lose. Let's go!"

"Do you know where he is?" Ichigo asked. Ren paused. "You don't, do you?" Another pause.

"No." Ren sighed, hanging her head.

"Floating restaurant?" Steph said quietly. Her eyes widened. "I know where it is!"

"Then what are we waiting for?" Ichigo exclaimed.

"Lead the way, Steph!"

_Hold on, Shiro._ Ren thought. _You protected me last time. This time, I will definitely protect you!_

...

Earlier...

"Alright, what the hell? I know I came past here!" Toshiro exclaimed, his eyebrow twitching. He was staring up at the scaffolding covered building in King's Square, where he had been almost killed by Sentaro. If it weren't for Ren stepping in, who knows what would have happened to him. Of course, he already knew the answer to that. Ren saved his life. If Ren hadn't come through when he needed her most, then he wouldn't be standing here today.

"Ren..." Toshiro said quietly, thinking about how Ren had acted earlier. That behaviour...He had never seen Ren flip out like that before. It was unusual to say the least, but just how big is this secret? Still thinking, Toshiro walked off to his left, away from the scaffolding. It seemed too unpleasant for him to look at right now.

Besides, he still had to think about Ren, and what he was going to do. He couldn't stop his investigating, but he could see that he was almost at a dead end. If he was going to continue finding out about Ren, he would have to be more careful. Then again, maybe it's best if Toshiro just left well enough alone. Right now, he didn't know anymore. Even so, it still didn't give Ren an excuse to snap like that, whether it was to do with her secret or not. Or, maybe he shouldn't have been snooping around in the first place. No matter how much he looked at it, Toshiro still felt that he needed to respect Ren's feelings on this part. He shouldn't have mentioned that book he found. He shouldn't have pried into something that was none of his business. In truth, he could actually understand a little why Ren did what she did.

"Okay." Toshiro said, stopping in his tracks. "I probably should apologise to Ren. But...about Nathan...I just can't stay out of it. Sorry, Ren, but I can't sit and watch forever." Toshiro nodded to himself, confirming what he just said out loud. "Right. To the school." Toshiro turned around...and saw the same scaffolding covered building from before. "What? I've been walking in circles? I can't believe I'm lost! Okay, um..." Toshiro looked left and right, trying to remember which way it was back to the school. "Note to self: bring a map." Toshiro settled for following his instincts and went down the path on the left of the scaffolding. "Better yet, try not to multitask while walking. I really need to stop getting lost in my thoughts." Unbeknownst to Toshiro, Gotam was hiding in the shadows behind him.

_He is almost in position._ He thought. _Activate the Battle Barrier._

_Right._ Several other voices responded.

Almost instantly, there was a flash of light from a tear drop shape on the ground in front of Gotam, and a beam of light shot up into the sky, where eleven other lights met at one central point. Just like that, a dome shape was formed around a small part of the city, where it went from glowing white to translucent, and Toshiro walked through the wall of the barrier, and he didn't even notice that he'd walked through anything. To him, the barrier was invisible. In fact, he hadn't even seen the flashes of light, nor had any of the townspeople around him.

"Now, we wait." Gotam said.

Ten minutes later...

"Ren told me to stay out of it, and I will respect that wish, but if something does happen, I have to help her." Toshiro said to himself as he continued walking. "And..." Toshiro remembered the visions of Ren that he had. "I have to stop them from coming true. I don't care if she and Nathan have history. I'm not going to let him make Ren cry." Toshiro stopped walking for a moment, and looked around to get his bearings. He was on a path by a riverside, and to his right was a boat that looked like a large canal boat, except that it had a ramp attached to it. A floating restaurant. What are the odds?

"Speaking of odd..." Toshiro started, looking around again. "Where is everybody?" He was right. There wasn't a soul to be seen. No people. No animals. Not even a single insect could be seen. All Toshiro could hear was the wind blowing through the grass, a gate creaking nearby, the tress rustling, and his own heart pounding. "Hello?" He called out. Nothing. He walked forward nervously, hoping that anybody could hear him. "Is anybody here?" Even when he was in the dead centre on this park, he still couldn't see anything or anyone around. It was like he was the only resident of this city left.

"Hold on..." Toshiro stopped walking just in front of a large, wooden gazebo.

_"What's wrong?" Toshiro asked, noticing how the three friends had stopped walking._

_"It's like a ghost town here. But, King's Square is the busiest part of this city." Tom explained._

"That was before we were attacked. And now there's another scenario right here." Toshiro said thoughtfully. "It can't be coincidence." Toshiro's eyes slowly widened as he realised what this meant. "Oh, no."

"_We're only here for one person."_

_"Who?" Ren asked, suspicious._

"It's not Ren they're here for..."

_"We're here…for that one." Dixie pointed a slender finger down to the ground, and straight at Toshiro, whose eyes widened._

"It's me!" Toshiro realised. "I'm the one they're after!" Toshiro looked left and right frantically, hoping that White Raven weren't already here. "And I'm who knows where while Ren's back at school. This isn't good. I have to get away from here!"

"Too late!"

"What?" Toshiro gasped, wide eyed. It came from behind him! He spun around, and there on top of the gazebo roof were twelve hooded figures. Toshiro spotted the crests of White Raven on them. "Damn..."

"My, what a cute little boy." One female figure purred. It was the woman whose voice sounded like a hiss.

"Dibs." Caleb proclaimed.

"Etheline. Caleb. That's enough." The leader said. "Remember why we're here."

"Yes, Leader." Caleb and the woman, now Etheline, bowed their heads.

_So that guy's their leader?_ Toshiro thought, staring up at that figure. _Is he the leader of the whole thing, or just this group?_

"In light of your enthusiasm, I shall let you two take him on. Remember; we need to subdue him first." The leader looked over his shoulder at Gotam, who had his hood up. "Gotam will step in if anything happens. Go."

"Right!" Etheline, Caleb and Gotam leapt down from the gazebo and, just before their feet landed on the ground, they levitated for a moment, making small clouds of dust below their feet right before they finally touched down. Toshiro took several steps away from them, and even though he kept his guard up, it couldn't stop him from feeling a little afraid. Even if he could feel a little spirit energy inside him, it wasn't anywhere near enough to take them on. He needed help. Now! That was when he remembered. Ren had given him a phone yesterday. With her number on it! If he could make the call, he might just stand a chance. He needed an opportunity, though.

"Better step back, old timer." Caleb said to Gotam, who stood behind Etheline and Caleb, not saying a word. "We won't want our favourite messenger getting killed."

"Oh, please." Etheline scoffed. "With this weakling..." Etheline reached up to her hood, and in one fluid motion, threw her cloak off, finally revealing herself. She was a tall, young woman who was clearly well endowed, with a long dress that had different shades of green and was split on her left side, revealing much of her leg, and black high heeled shoes. She wore a bright red lipstick, had narrow, greyish blue eyes and long black hair just past her waist. She looked every bit a seductress. "We won't even need to use half our strength." She finished.

"Says the woman who stripped her disguise. Still..." Caleb reached up to his hood, and he pulled it down to reveal his face. His face was that of a young man with thick, messy brown hair, dark brown eyes, and Toshiro couldn't help but notice how his canines were a little sharper than usual. "There's nothing wrong with showing off."

"True." Etheline's eyes changed from greyish blue to golden brown with slits for pupils. "By the way, boy, don't try anything funny. If you do..." Out of nowhere, a sphere materialised in the air, and dropped into Etheline's outstretched hand. Toshiro's eyes widened. Floating inside the transparent sphere were silver Feather cores. He could see at least twenty of them inside it. "Then we'll release these Feathers to destroy the city. You don't want that, do you?"

_Damn cowards!_ Toshiro thought angrily. _If I fight back, they'll release the Feathers, but if I don't, they'll kill me. I have to call Ren. Now!_ Toshiro looked to the figures on the gazebo, then at the three people ready to kill him. _I can't believe I'm about to try this..._

"Go for it, Ren!" Toshiro yelled, staring to the left of the gazebo.

"What?" The leader looked behind him, as did everyone else. Toshiro took advantage of this and ran off as quickly and as quietly as possible. By the time the group realised the deception and turned back around, Toshiro was gone.

"Search the area." Gotam ordered. "He can't have gone far."

"Right!" Caleb and Etheline ran off, Etheline to her left, and Caleb to his right.

"That little bastard's gonna get it now!" Etheline growled, stopping in between two trees, looking left and right, and then running off again. But, she didn't notice that Toshiro was sitting in the tree just above where Etheline previously was, out of reach and away from prying eyes.

"That was close." Toshiro sighed, relieved. "Thanks, Ren. I owe you one. Now is my chance." Toshiro stood up and, keeping one hand on the tree trunk for balance, took the phone out of his pocket, staring at the screen for a moment. "Trouble is Ren might not be in the mood to even see me, let alone help me. Well, whatever. I can make up for whatever I did later. Right now, I need you."

"Where is he?" Toshiro heard Etheline yell

"Calm down. He's here somewhere."

"Don't tell me to calm down, Caleb! If I don't find him soon, I'm going to level this place!"

"Damn!" Toshiro quickly turned the screen on and tapped the icon that brought the dialling screen up. "Hold down two." Toshiro did so, and soon, it was ringing up Ren. He brought the phone to his ear, listening for a sign that Ren was answering. But, all he heard was a dialling tone to show that the phone was still ringing. "Come on...Come on..." Toshiro muttered. He had never been more impatient with a phone than he was now. After what felt like forever to him, he heard a click. "Yes!"

"Whaddup."

"Ren, get over here! It's White Raven! There are twelve of them! And they've brought Feathers with them!" Toshiro said quickly in a hushed voice, knowing he didn't have much time to make this call. He had to tell her right away about what was going on and where he was. His life literally depended on it! "I'm at...um...I don't know where I am! There's a...uh..." Toshiro frantically thought of a landmark or two that Ren might know of. "A river! And some kind of boat...I think it's a floating restaurant or something! Hurry! I can't hold out much longer!"

"There you are!" Etheline proclaimed, looking up the tree and straight at Toshiro.

"Dammit!" Toshiro cursed, hanging up the phone and quickly pocketing it again before Etheline could see it.

_Now, all I have to do is stay alive long enough for Ren to get here. If she gets here._ Toshiro thought.

"What the..." Toshiro noticed how the branches in the tree were getting transparent, and then becoming solid again, and then transparent, then solid and this was repeated over and over again. "What is this?" The tree suddenly went transparent, and stayed like that, causing Toshiro to fall and land heavily on the ground. "It disappeared?" Toshiro looked up at the invisible tree...but it was right there in front of him. Solid as solid can be.

"Looks like somebody is a little clumsy." Etheline sang.

_How did she do that?_ Toshiro thought. _I know that tree disappeared; otherwise I wouldn't have fallen off. But I'm staring at it right now! What happened?_

"Ah, ah, ah." Etheline tutted, grabbing the back of Toshiro's shirt and hoisting him back on his feet, pushing him away from her so hard, Toshiro nearly fell over again, but he recovered and turned to face her. "Don't go getting distracted. After all, you have bigger things to worry about. Mainly, your life. A life that I'm about to end." The orb that Etheline was holding moved from her hand and hovered in the air next to her head. In her right hand, she outstretched her fingers, and a long whip materialised in her hand. She cracked it at Toshiro's feet, and he couldn't help but jump back. "Oh, I love it. Keep it up!"

"Don't forget about me." Caleb brought his hand to his face with a smirk, and his nails lengthened into finger long talons. With one swift movement, the claws fired at Toshiro, who didn't even notice them with his back turned. But, he soon sensed them behind him and managed to jump out of the way just in time, but that didn't stop him from getting scratched across the cheek by a fifth one. Before he even had time to react, Etheline had one arm underneath his chin. Toshiro tried to move her arm, but to no avail.

"Yes, don't stop. Your fear and desperation is so...invigorating." Etheline leaned down to the cut on Toshiro's face and licked the blood from it. Toshiro felt his hair stand on end as her tongue touched him.

"Get away from me!" Toshiro cried out, pushing Etheline away from him, a very freaked out look on his face. Getting excited by his desperation, he could understand. But, licking his blood? That was just disgusting! And creepy!

"Mmm, that was tasty." Etheline said, licking her lips, which only freaked Toshiro out even more.

"Ha-ha-ha! Look at his face!" Caleb burst out laughing, pointing at Toshiro.

_I have a little spirit energy back._ Toshiro thought, trying to think of some form of battle strategy other than dodging. _I can cast low level kido spells, but it won't be enough to stop these monsters. Then again, if I do something, anything, then those Feathers will be released, and I won't be able to take them on myself. What do I do?_ Toshiro clenched his fists. _What do I do? Think. Think!_

"Ha!" Etheline cracked her whip to a distracted Toshiro, and the whip wrapped around his right wrist tightly.

"What?" Toshiro tried to pull free from the whip, but it only tightened.

"The more you struggle, the tighter it gets." Etheline grinned wickedly at him. The whip she just used hovered out of her hand. Another whip materialised in Etheline's hand, and before Toshiro knew it, his left wrist was bound, too. Then, out of nowhere, a third whip bound his wrists behind his back. The three whip handles pinned into the ground behind Toshiro like tent pegs.

"Damn..." Toshiro cursed, trying but failing to pull himself free.

"Now you can't do anything." Caleb smirked at Toshiro, joining Etheline by her side. "No magic. No fists. Nothing."

"That reminds me." Etheline pointed her right palm at Toshiro. At first, nothing happened. Then, two whips shot out of the ground, each one binding one of Toshiro's ankles. The handles remained invisible underground, literally giving Toshiro no way out. He was trapped. "NOW you can't do anything."

"I guess you shouldn't have brought this thing out." Caleb tapped a couple times at the orb hovering next to Etheline. "If you'd kept it hidden, this guy could've fought back, and it'd be more exciting."

"But what will he do? He can't do anything unless that woman is with her."

_They don't know about the Amber?_ Toshiro thought, glancing down at his right trouser pocket, where the Amber was safely hidden away. _It doesn't seem like they can sense spirit energy either. But, Dixie said something about sensing purified Feather cores. And Ren is carrying some right now! She could be coming this way now, and they'll know she's here before she arrives! I may not be able to fight, but maybe I can distract them for a while..._

"Well, come on. Let's get this over with." Caleb's nails lengthened and sharpened into claws again.

"Right. Then, we can deal with that woman in peace."

"That woman?"Toshiro repeated. "You mean Ren, don't you?"

"So what if it is her?" Caleb challenged.

"What do you want her for?" Toshiro asked. He thought that he may as well try and get some answers while distracting them, and then he can tell Ren as soon as she arrives. This way, he'll be killing two birds with one stone. "You might as well tell me. After all, I'm about to die right here and now. There's no way I'd be able to tell Ren if I'm dead."

"Very well." Caleb said with a shrug. "We may as well put your mind at ease while you're still alive."

"What I know is that Ren looks like Princess Zena, who I gather is a dangerous person. At least, in your perspective. As far as I know, Zena isn't that dangerous at all."

"You're wrong about that." Etheline interjected. "Both Zena and your friend are more dangerous than you can imagine. Zena's power is beyond anything you and I can ever dream of reaching. That power is what Ren possesses, and it is deadly in the hands of someone who doesn't know how to control it. If something were to go wrong..."

"Boom." Caleb whispered into Toshiro's ear, making him almost jump out of his skin. Then, Caleb vanished as quickly as he appeared and was back to Etheline's side in a blink of an eye.

"Thank you, Caleb, for your little demonstration." Etheline said with closed eyes, controlling her patience. She reopened her eyes and continued. "Therefore, to prevent chaos from happening, we must find out if she has the exact same powers as Zena or not. If so, then we must do whatever we can to make sure she doesn't go out of control. We could always try to kill her, but then, there is a high chance that her power will be released. If that happens, well, as Caleb said, boom."

"I can understand that. But..." Toshiro narrowed his eyes at Etheline, determined to get his question answered once and for all. "Why do I have to die? I'm no threat to you."

"Oh, but you are." Etheline said with a flirty smile. "See, you remind us of someone. Someone powerful." Etheline waved a hand to her right side. A green circle-like shape appeared in the air next to her that was just bigger than her head. A blurred image was inside it, and Toshiro watched as it gradually came into focus. What he saw made him almost speechless.

"That's..." Toshiro started, wide eyed. But, he couldn't even finish his sentence. In that image, he was looking at the head shot of another him. Except, this him had a mischievous smile on his face, and his hair was a little bit longer and just over halfway past collar length. While the spikes in his hair looked exactly the same as Toshiro's, the longer bit of hair near his neck was tied in a thin ponytail with a blue ribbon. But, other than the subtle differences, Toshiro couldn't deny the fact that this person looked exactly like him.

"Human, meet Ryuki." Caleb indicated the image. "Recognise him? This is Zena's Heavenly Guardian, and you look just like him. Just like she is gaining Zena's powers, our mistress thinks you might do the same with Ryuki's own powers."

_Ryuki's powers?_ Toshiro thought. _Does that mean...the premonitions...Is that Ryuki's ability?_

"One problem we can handle, but two is another matter." Etheline continued. "Zena and Ryuki are a deadly duo, and if these two were to come together at this crucial point, then all our plans would be for nothing. That is why we must nip the problem while it is still in the bud." Caleb vanished from where he was, and reappeared in front of Toshiro, who was still in shock about the revelation of his similarities to Ryuki. Caleb raised his clawed hand up in the air, where the tips gleamed in the sun.

"Now that we have that out the way, it's time for you to die."

_Damn!_ Toshiro thought, looking up at Caleb's grinning face. _I couldn't distract them long enough!_ Toshiro closed his eyes, bracing himself for the worst._ Ren...Where are you?_

"Nighty night, ki-"

THWAK!

"Eh?" Toshiro opened his eyes. Caleb had suddenly had a foot kick him in the face by a person hidden by shadows. That person kicked Caleb away from them and landed on one knee on the ground, sending Caleb tumbling back to Etheline.

"What the..." Caleb sat up, rubbing the new bruise on his nose. "Who is that?" The person stood up in front of Toshiro, the shadows clearing away. That person was...

"Ren!" Toshiro said, feeling himself smile from relief. Ren stared at Caleb and Etheline and Caleb, a frown on her face.

"It's that woman." Etheline said.

"Pardon the intrusion!" Ren said happily, waving at Etheline and Caleb. She promptly turned around to face Toshiro. "Hey, Shiro. You alright?"

"What took you so long?"

"Sorry." Ren apologised sheepishly. "We came as fast as we could. I didn't know where that boat you mentioned was, so I had Steph lead the way. Ichigo's here, too, so you can relax now. They're just behind me. Hang on, I'll get you out of those ropes." Ren crouched down behind Toshiro to unbind his wrists. "Um...I mean whips...Damn, these things are stubborn...Hang on...There we go!" Toshiro felt two whips fall away from his arms. While Ren went to his right ankle, Toshiro focused on the whip on his left arm. "So, are you hurt at all?"

"I'm fine. You came just in time." Toshiro answered, shaking off the final whip on his left ankle, finally free. He turned back to Ren, rubbing his wrists. "Ren, you see that sphere floating next to the woman?"

"Yeah, I saw it earlier. What is that?"

"That contains Feather cores. I can't tell exactly how many though, but she threatened to release them if I attacked. I could only stall them for you to get here." Toshiro glanced away for a moment. "To be honest, I thought you wouldn't come after what happened today."

"..." Ren pouted at Toshiro in response. She then proceeded to karate chop Toshiro on his head lightly.

"Ow." Toshiro said flatly.

"Don't' run off on your own again." Ren said sternly. "That aside, I can't believe you thought I would leave you hanging."

"I..."

"I said it once before, but I guess you didn't hear me clearly enough, so I'll say it again." Ren smiled her smile at Toshiro. "If I abandon a friend in need, then I have no right to call myself their friend."

"Right...I guess I forgot that."

"Anyway, I'm sorry for flipping out." Ren apologised.

"Eh?"

"It's er..."

"It's complicated, right?" Toshiro asked, half joking.

"Yeah!" Ren said happily. "We can sort that out later, though. Right now, we have bigger things to deal with."

"Hey!" Etheline yelled. "We were in the middle of something here!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, in a minute." Ren said quickly, waving her hand dismissively at them. She paused. "Who the heck are those guys?" Ren asked, pointing a thumb over her shoulder at Caleb and Etheline, prompting Toshiro to roll his eyes.

"All I know is that they're with White Raven. Those guys over there on that gazebo are with them, too."

"Oh, great. New people to play with." Ren muttered sarcastically, glancing at the other members of White Raven. "And I now know what a gazebo is." Another eye roll from Toshiro.

"That woman can summon whips from thin air, and as far as I know, the man can turn his nails into claws."

"Hmmm." Ren folded her arms. "They could be holding back. If I know bad guys, they're hella arrogant, so they hold back against opponents who they deem as weak, only for the good guys to kick they're ass!" Ren punched a fist in her palm as she finished speaking. All the way through Toshiro and Ren's conversation, Etheline was getting more and more angry, until she snapped and summoned a whip in her hand.

"Stop ignoring me!" She roared, cracking her whip towards Ren. But, Ren grabbed the whip with one hand without turning around, much to Etheline and Caleb's shock. Ren looked over her shoulder at Etheline, a very annoyed expression on her face.

"Ma'am." Ren started. "I will fight you in a minute." Ren then clenched the whip so hard, it crumbled, until she finally dropped the rest of the whip on the ground, while Etheline and Caleb stared with dumbfounded expressions.

"What?" Toshiro gasped. "You're not seriously going to take them on, are you?"

"Why not?" Ren asked, an innocent look on her face. "They nearly killed you."

"Yes, and that's precisely why you shouldn't face them!" Toshiro exclaimed. "They'll tear you apart!"

"How do you know that I won't be the one who tears them apart?" Ren asked. "Right, guys"? Ren looked over Toshiro's shoulder at Steph and Ichigo, who were just running up to them.

"Yeah." Steph agreed, beaming. "Trust her. If Ren says she can do it, then she can do it."

"Fine." Toshiro sighed, defeated. "Do what you want. I can't change your mind if you're this determined."

"Yay!" Ren said happily. "Thank you, Shiro!" Ren turned around and trotted away from the others, and only stopped when she was a few feet away from Etheline and Caleb. "So, who's going first?"

"I have a feeling I'm going to regret this." Toshiro muttered.

"Don't worry about it, Toshiro." Ichigo reassured. "You should have more faith in her."

"Well, she did send that guy flying..."

"There you go!" Steph said happily. "She's tougher than she looks, so just sit back and relax."

"I can't sit back and relax if Ren is facing two opponents at once! One, I'm okay with, but two? And she doesn't even know what their abilities are!"

"She'll figure it out. She always does."

"But-"

"O, ye of little faith!" Ren exclaimed, over hearing the conversation. "Take Steph's advice, Shiro." Ren looked back at Etheline and Caleb, who glared at her, but she smiled in response, unfazed. "This is the enemy. This is my duty to protect my friends. This is my time to shine. And you know what else?" Ren tapped her heels together once, and her Fire Shackles appeared around her ankles and wrists. Her smile became more confident. "This is Ren to the rescue."

**Well, that sure took a while! And I just realised that I kinda broke the fourth wall at the end...Anyway, Ren gets some action! Will she be victorious? Find out next time!**


	13. The Lucky Genius

**Summer's here! Time to enjoy that sun! Actually, up here, it's not really sun, more like…um…clouds…and rain…Still, the sun comes out occasionally, and when it does, it is g-o-r-geous! Right, enough babbling! Onto the story!**

Chapter 11

The Lucky Genius

"You? Fight us?" Etheline burst out laughing. "Such a sense of humour!"

"I'm serious." Ren said, wearing her usual blank expression. "See? Fire Shackles. Serious."

"I'm getting a bad feeling about this." Toshiro sighed, hanging his head. He knew he was going to regret letting Ren step in, and he was right. And yet, he could tell that just by looking at Ren, she wasn't messing around. Every sign told him that she was confident that she'll win. But, that didn't stop him from worrying about her.

"Alright, I'll humour you." Etheline said, half laughing. The sphere hovering in the air glowed, and out shot several thin, white lights, which landed on the ground around Ren, and in a blink of an eye, she was surrounded by many different Feathers, all of them low level, and as soon as the Feathers appeared, the sphere disappeared. Ren, however, did not look fazed, and merely glanced at the snarling monsters. "Someone of your level should have some trouble dealing with this many Feathers. There are twenty of them in total, and they're hungry for you blood."

"Twenty you say?"

"Twenty." Etheline confirmed.

"Um…I think you might want to recount."

"Oh?" Caleb raised an eyebrow in confusion. Ren looked back at Etheline and Caleb, and she smiled with narrow eyes.

"There's only fifteen of 'em." With one wave of her hand, several Feathers suddenly dissolved into ashes, much to the shock of Etheline and Caleb.

"Wh…What was that?" Toshiro stammered, wide eyed. "She just moved her hand and…"

"See?" Ren said, the Feather cores shooting to her outstretched hand. "Fifteen." Ren brought her hand down and counted the cores. Silence. "Ahaha! I mean twelve! Sorry! I must be having an off day!"

_She underestimated her own strength?_ Etheline thought, wide eyed at what she had just witnessed. _No, that can't be it. Nobody can be that dense. Was she bluffing? Is this the limits of her power, or is she already at the point where she is close to wielding the element of fire without the Shackles?_

"And then…" Ren crossed her arms in front of her chest, where her fists glowed with an orange fire. Then, she thrust her arms up into the air, her palms pointing upwards, and there was a burst of orange fire surrounding Ren and the Feathers in a small dome shape. Even though Toshiro was a good few feet away from Ren, he could easily feel the heat from the fire. Then, the dome came as quickly as it went, and there was a black circle on the ground surrounding Ren, who lowered her arms, and a clatter of Feather cores was heard as they landed on the ground. Ren opened out her palm, the cores glowed, and they shot into her hand, turning them into gold.

"There were none." Ren said with a smile, dropping the cores into her drawstring bag. "Shiro, hold this." Ren threw the bag behind her, and Toshiro caught it, still a little stunned at Ren's display of power.

_When…No…How did she get that strong?_ Toshiro thought. _Is that even Ren?_

"Can I fight you now?" Ren asked. "I've killed the Feathers. It was kind of easy, though. Will you be a bigger challenge?"

"You little…" Caleb growled, ready to fight her after her unintended act of arrogance, but Etheline's arm blocked his path.

"I've got this." Etheline took a few steps forward, ready to fight Ren. She had to find out if she was dense, lucky, a force to be reckoned with or, even worse, all of the above.

"Am I fighting you?" Ren asked, and Etheline confirmed with a nod. "Well, then…" Ren clasped her hands in front of her and bowed politely to Etheline. "Pleased to meet you." She straightened up, bringing her fists up with an excited smile. "Let's do our best!"

"Yes…Let's…" Etheline moved her hand behind her back, and waved her hand in a circle.

"Hm?" Ren looked down at the ground, noticing it pulse with a small, white circle. From the centre, a whip emerged slowly, hovering in front of Ren's eyes. "Oooo…" Ren's eyes couldn't help but follow the tip of the whip as it waved slowly in front of her, as though a snake were being charmed. Etheline took advantage of this distraction, and another whip appeared out of the ground and wrapped itself around her right ankle.

_Gotcha!_ Etheline thought, grinning. The hand behind her back clenched into a fist, and the whip Ren was watching disappeared, and at the same time, the other whip tugged on her leg.

"Nya!" Ren exclaimed, tumbling and landing face first on the hard ground with a loud smack sound.

"Oooo…"Toshiro, Ichigo and Steph flinched at the sound.

"That sounded painful."

"Didn't you hear that, Ichigo? Of course it was painful!"

"Boys, please. Hey, Ren. Are you okay?"

"Uuuu…" Ren groaned, slowly sitting up on all fours. She looked up at Etheline, a little annoyed and with a huge, red mark on her forehead. "Aaaaahhhh…bitch, please."

_I thought so._ Etheline thought. _This girl truly is dense. And lucky._

"I have such a headache." Ren muttered, rubbing her head while standing up again. "Why did you do that, lady? That wasn't nice!"

_Of course not!_ Toshiro exclaimed in his thoughts, exasperated at Ren's naivety. _She's evil!_

"To test you. And clearly you are lucky to be alive."

"Yup! Lady Luck! That's me!" Ren said happily.

"However…" Etheline materialised two whips, one in each hand. "I'm here to stop your lucky streak. Permanently."

"Can we fight yet?" Ren asked, unfazed by the taunt.

"Oh, for the…Yes!" Etheline snapped, impatient.

"Yay!" Ren cheered, disappearing from the spot.

"Wha…" Etheline gasped.

"SHORYUKEN!" Ren yelled, punching Etheline under her chin, and the resulting blow created a trail of fire following her fist. Etheline shot up in the air from the blow, and she landed heavily on the ground a few metres away, her whips dissolving into white dust the moment they hit the ground.

"K.O." Steph yelled, ignoring how Toshiro and Ichigo were staring with wide eyes at Ren's speed. "You win!"

"Yatta!" Ren cried, jumping in the air in joy. "Great combo, Steph!"

"You little…" Etheline picked herself up off the ground, rubbing the graze on her face away. "Do not underestimate us!" Multiple pulses appeared in the sky behind Etheline, while Ren braced herself for what was to come. "The strength of White Raven…savour it thoroughly!" All at once, several dozen whips lashed out of the pulses at Ren.

"Ren!" Toshiro yelled, fighting the urge to step in and help. But, Ren stood at the same spot and smiled. Then, what she did amazed everybody; she dodged the lightning quick whips by jumping high up in the air. Some whips tried to strike up at her, but she avoided each one of them with swift dodges and flips, until she somersaulted through the air, and landed swiftly on the ground feet first.

"Neat." Ren looked at her hands. "I'm a little more agile than before. Whoops!" Ren hand springed backwards from another few whips. "Gotta stay focused."

_She's fast…_ Toshiro thought, watching with amazement as Ren dodged all of the whip attacks with quick and agile gymnastic moves, flips and hand springs. _And agile. She doesn't know the full power of those Shackles, yet she is still confident in herself. Just what is going through her mind?_

_I'm getting kinda hungry._ Ren thought as she dodged. _I wonder what's in the cafeteria today. Oh, yeah, it's Mexican food today; bleugh! Chilli con carne; double bleugh! I'm all for that minced meat and all, but do they have to have so many beans in it? What should I have instead? Sandwich? A salad? Or maybe a sandwich with salad? Good thing we have a self-serve salad bar at school. I hate it when they put tomatoes in the salad boxes. Yuck! Oh, I hope they serve tuna sandwiches! Should I go with tuna and sweet corn or tuna and cucumber? Ah, I hate difficult decisions! Then again, nothing wrong with a classic sarnie. I've got a craving for egg mayonnaise right now. Or maybe ham? Meh, I'll just see what there is._

"Hm?" Ren stopped dodging, landing back on her feet as the whips disappeared into white dust.

"How quaint." Etheline said with a small smile. "It seems you're more than just luck. You have some skill. I'm rather impressed, Zena."

"Um, you got my name wrong. It's Ren. Not Zena."

"Xena?" Steph repeated. "Isn't that the character in that TV show?"

"I thought the same thing, but no." Ren said, a little disbelieved. "This is a different Xena."

"Different how?"

"I dunno. They just are. I mean, they sound the same, but…ah, it's beyond me."

"…" Etheline slyly turned her gaze to Toshiro, who didn't notice the cold stare. She smiled. Quick as a flash, Etheline created another whip and cracked it towards Toshiro. Toshiro, hearing the crack, turned his head in the direction, and seeing the whip, instinctively brought his arms in front of him, but Ren appeared quick as a flash, clasping the tip in one hand.

"Ren…" Toshiro started.

"I think you need to go to Specsavers, love." Ren said to Etheline. "Shiro looks nothing like me. You should be aiming your little whips at me. Not at Shiro. At meeeee." Ren said the final few words slowly, just to get her point across. Ren dropped the whip, and turned around to face Toshiro. "You okay, Shiro?"

"Thanks to you, I am." Toshiro answered. Ren smiled happily.

"Don't worry, Shiro. I'll protect you. Those jerks won't lay a finger on you while I'm around." Ren spun around to Etheline again. "Could you not hold back, please?"

"Excuse me?" Etheline raised an eyebrow.

"I said don't hold back. I can tell this isn't all of your strength, so come at me." Ren stood in a fighting stance, smirking. "Or do I have to come at you?"

"Getting cocky, are we?" Etheline asked, smiling. "You should be careful. If you have those Shackles out for too long, someone as inexperienced as you could lose control."

"Really?" Ren said, relaxing her guard. "Oh, I don't want that to happen. Off they go." Ren tapped her heels once, and the Fire Shackles disappeared. Etheline sweat dropped a little at how gullible Ren was, even though what she said was a true fact. She would seriously take the advice of an enemy? Just how dense could this girl get?

"Ren!" Toshiro exclaimed, once again amazed at the level of her naivety.

"Hang on, hang on." Ren said quickly, trotting away from Toshiro. She stopped when she was several metres away from Etheline and the White Raven group. "You shouldn't underestimate me, Shiro. Same to you, lady." Ren glanced at Caleb. "And you too, mister." Ren smiled again, determined. "This girl is not a one trick pony."

"What?" Etheline said, puzzled. Ren slowly raised her arms up, and Etheline's eyes widened as she figured it out. "Wait…You don't mean… You can use more than one of the Shackles already?"

"Hopefully." Ren answered, crossing her arms in an X shape in front of her chest. Nothing happened for several seconds, but eventually, silvery smoke appeared around her wrists and ankles. Ren stared at this strange smoke, and she immediately knew what they were, even though she had never seen them before. "Sweeeeeeet!"

"Wind Shackles?" Etheline gasped. "Already?"

"Yup!" Ren responded cheerfully. Ren raised one arm up in the air, her palm outstretched as a small tornado twisted around her arm. "Now…eat this!" Ren brought her hand down, and several blades of wind shot towards Etheline, who barely managed to leap out of the way in time, leaving the wind blades to continue their path, and they sliced through a tree. In seconds, the tree collapsed into several pieces as though it were cheese.

"What power!" Etheline sharply turned to face Ren, but she was gone. "Where is she?"

"Weeeeee!" Ren suddenly whooshed behind Etheline, and back around to the front. Etheline saw that Ren wasn't walking, or even running. Her feet were inches from the ground, and the smoke around her ankles seemed more intense. She was literally gliding across the ground.

"Wahoo!" Ren back flipped in the air, and skidded backwards as though she were roller blading. "This is awesome! This is just like ice skating without the blades! Hmmm…now there's an idea."

"Don't get cocky!" Etheline, refusing to give up, created another whip, but before she could do anything, Ren glided towards her, jumped up and aimed a kick to her head, but Etheline leant back to avoid her foot. Her eyes widened. Before her eyes, she saw strands of black hair.

"My hair!" Etheline looked at the bangs of her hair. One side was slightly shorter than the other. She glared at Ren, who was balancing on one foot. Her other foot had wind in the shape of a blade at the sole of her shoe.

"Oh, come on. It'll grow back. Besides, I fixed your split ends. You should be thanking me."

"Rrrr…" Etheline growled, infuriated with Ren's personality. "Damn you!" The pulses in mid-air appeared once again, and Etheline unleashed a relentless attack on Ren with her whips. But now that she could glide across the ground, Ren dodged the whips even more effortlessly than before, all while humming Bolero to herself.

"Okay…She's defying death, but she's having fun at the same time." Toshiro said, following Ren's movements while becoming even more amazed by the second, both at her skills and her attitude to the whole situation.

"That's Ren." Steph said, who didn't seem at all fazed by Ren's skills. She had learnt to expect the unexpected when Ren is involved, but she was still impressed by Ren's powers. "But she looks like she's getting bored."

"What?" Ichigo started, confused. To him, it looked like Ren was having the time of her life, and yet her closest friend was saying Ren was getting bored?

"Give her a minute." Right after Steph said this, there were a couple of whacking sounds, and Ichigo and Toshiro were amazed to see that Etheline and Caleb were lying on the ground, defeated. Ren stood beside them, the smoke disappearing around her wrist and ankles. She dusted off her hands with a slightly satisfied expression on her face. Then, that face instantly turned into boredom.

"Bored now!" Ren said loudly. "I told these guys to not hold back, but they did just that. See, Shiro? I told you bad guys were hella arrogant!"

"Just like that she..." Ichigo started, but he couldn't finish his sentence. Toshiro, meanwhile, couldn't say a word let alone a sentence. All this time, Ren could've finished them off instantly, but she chose to play games with them. Unbelievable!

"Told ya." Steph folded her arms, smirking. "If Ren knows she can handle it, she tries to make it last as long as possible. But whatever the situation is, once Ren gets bored, she's outta there."

"Like Kenpachi." Ichigo said with a shiver

"I don't know what this Kenpachi is, but it sounds violent."

"You don't wanna know."

"But, just so you know, this is my first time seeing Ren in action, too. I'm just as surprised as you are. Well, not as surprised as Toshiro."

"W-What?" Toshiro snapped out of his trance after hearing his name

"Point proven."

"Wait. That other guy." Ichigo pointed at Gotam, who came out from the shadows and pulled down his hood to reveal an unreadable expression. Toshiro tried to read what he was thinking, but nothing was there. In fact, ever since Ren destroyed the Feathers, he'd been getting a strange feeling from the other members of White Raven. Something wasn't right. Still contemplating this, Toshiro continued to watch Gotam walk towards Etheline and Caleb.

"Stay out of this. We've got it." Etheline hissed angrily.

"I believe the order was for me to step in if things went wrong." Gotam said calmly. "Well, things have gone wrong. You two clearly underestimated her."

"..." Ren backed away from the two defeated members of White Raven as Gotam came closer and closer towards her. She was getting a very bad vibe from him, and she didn't like it one bit. Yet, it seemed to excite her as well.

_I'm beginning to think I have issues._ Ren thought, worried about her excitement.

"Step aside." Gotam ordered, stopping beside Caleb and Etheline. Etheline growled and attempted to attack, but an arm from Caleb blocked her path. She glared at him, but he simply shook his head.

"Tch." Etheline stood up and stomped back to the gazebo, suppressing her anger without much success. Caleb also stood up, though he was clearly a lot calmer than Etheline.

"We don't usually leave the dirty work to those weaker than us, but unlike Etheline, I admit my mistake. I leave you to clean up." With a playful smirk, Caleb patted Gotam's shoulder. "Show us how it's done, huh? Just be careful. That girl is like a firework."

"Firework." Ren repeated. "That's a new one! First a live wire, then a mask, and now a firework! Awesome!" She said brightly. "They are kinda scary, though." Caleb seemed a little surprised that Ren could hear him from that distance, but it confirmed what he meant about her being a firework.

"Exactly." Caleb said to Ren. "You're unpredictable. But, I like that in a girl." Caleb winked at Ren, stunning her a little.

"Are...you coming on to me?" Ren asked, confused. Caleb closed his eyes, smiling. He turned away and walked back towards the gazebo with the other members of the group, ignoring the fact that Etheline was scowling at him. "He didn't answer. Steph, what does that mean?" Ren asked, looking over her shoulder at Steph.

"Well, he didn't say yes or no." Steph said, bringing her hands up to shoulder height.

"So I guess it's ambiguous." Ren concluded. "And, I just used a big word!"

"Girl."

"Yeah?" Ren turned back around to Gotam, who still wore the same emotionless expression on his face.

"Turn your attention away from your friends and from my companions." Gotam said in a loud, clear voice. "I am your opponent."

"Uh huh." Ren said, not really paying attention to what he was saying. She had only just noticed the bumps on Gotam's head.

"What are you staring at?" Gotam asked. Ren didn't answer. She simply trotted over to Gotam and stood on her toes in front of him, staring at the strange bumps.

"Hey, mister, did you bump your head in two different places? There are bumps on it. Kinda big ones too." Ren dared to poke one with her finger.

"She's done it." Steph sighed.

"Done what?" Toshiro asked.

"Sometimes, Ren has no depth of boundaries or sensitivity, but most of the time, she knows the bounds. With these guys, though, I'd make an exception."

"It's complicated?" Toshiro asked.

"It's complicated."

"I see." Toshiro muttered, mentally making note of that observation. Sooner or later, these clues will come together to form something.

"Ari?" Ren blinked. She poked the bump a couple more times. "This is..." Gotam, meanwhile, was trying not to lose his patience. "Holy crap, you've got horns!" Ren exclaimed, jumping back in alarm.

"And there's the sensitivity problem." Steph said, matter-of-factly.

"Are you horrified?" Gotam asked simply. "Does my appearance repulse you?"

"Not really." Ren said bluntly. "If it's a problem, then just wear a wig."

_That's not the point._ Ichigo and Toshiro thought, sweat dropping.

"I see it would take more than a simple question for you to grasp who we really are. But, for now, let me introduce myself properly." An invisible breeze blew around Gotam, and Ren only reacted with a raised eyebrow on her usually blank expression.

_This feeling._ Toshiro thought. _Is it...Is it spiritual pressure? No. That doesn't exist here. But, it feels so similar. What is it?_

"We are an elite group of fighters among White Raven. The Twelve Masters." Gotam disappeared quick as a flash, shocking Ren. Suddenly, the ground around her cracked, and she jumped away just in time for it to explode.

"Nyaaaaa!" Ren exclaimed, staggering backwards from the dust. In the centre of it was Gotam, who was down on one knee, a fist in the centre of the cracks on the ground. But, the cracks were no longer there. Instead, they were replaced by a crater the size of a small house.

"One punch?" Toshiro gasped, amazed at his strength. "This guy is as strong as Zaraki, maybe even stronger!" Gotam stood up, and turned to face Ren again.

"And I am the Master of Strength, but you can call me...Gotam."

"Gotam, eh?" Ren said, unfazed by the display. "Well, then, Gotam, my name is Ren. Ren Conner." Once again, Ren clasped her hands and bowed politely to Gotam. "Pleased to meet you."

"Pleased to meet you." Gotam said, bowing his head to return the gesture in kind. "But first, I must take care of something." Gotam shifted his eyes towards Toshiro. Ren noticed this, and before anyone could react, Ren was already in front of him, an expression that was both angry and annoyed at the same time.

"Wah!" Steph staggered back, still not used to Ren's speed. Ichigo and Toshiro were equally as surprised.

_That fast?_ Gotam thought.

"You know, Gotam, people have compared me to lots of things in the past. And, they were not all good things. Wild animal. Live wire. Dangerous. Freak. And those are only to name a few. Of course, those comparisons have gotten nicer over the years. Yet, I have my own comparison." Ren smirked a little. "A predator."

"Predator?" Gotam repeated, curious.

"Yup." The Fire Shackles instantly appeared around Ren's ankles and wrists, generating fireballs around her fists. "I'm beautiful to look at..." Ren clasped her hands together, and a massive fireball appeared where Gotam stood, colouring the whole atmosphere a mixture of red and orange. While her friends were safe from Ren's fire, the heat from the attack was overwhelming. Yet, it was hard to believe that this was a little of Ren's power. The fire disappeared as quickly as it came, and Gotam still stood where he was, covered in a few burns, and the crater he created full of ashes and soot. He stared intently at Ren's determined expression, her hands still linked together. "But if you touch someone in my pack, then I'll frikkin' kill ya." Ren finished.

"..."Gotam said nothing, silently admiring Ren's determination.

"Listen, I know that you guys want to kill Shiro, although I don't know why. And frankly, I don't care." Ren narrowed her eyes, not her usual happy self. "But, Shiro is my friend. And I will always protect anyone I care about."

_Friend..._ Toshiro thought, looking away. He really hadn't expected Ren to see him as a friend. And, he never thought about how he saw Ren. But the fact that Ren acknowledged him as a friend, well, he was touched.

"I see." Gotam said. "So...all I have to do is get rid of you before taking out that look-a-like."

"Are you sayin' he looks likes Ryuki?" Ren asked. "'Cos if you are, then that would make a lot of sense since he controlled Shiro and all." Ren placed a hand on Toshiro's shoulder. "Nevertheless, I'm still gonna stop you from killing him." Ren leaned over to Toshiro so that she was in whispering distance. "Keep your eyes peeled. I can sense a few Feathers around here." She whispered. Toshiro nodded in response. So he wasn't the only one who felt something strange.

"Me too." Steph whispered back. "I've been feeling something strange for a while now."

"Exactly. I'll deal with this guy, you guys keep watch." Ren leaned away from Toshiro, and looked back at Gotam.

"What were you talking about?" Gotam asked.

"Nunya business. So, you said you're the Master of Strength, huh?" Ren asked, quickly changing the subject. "Am I right in assuming its just physical strength?"

"Foolish girl." Gotam shook his head. "You have yet to grasp the full power of White Raven."

"Oh, I'm sorry. You seem to have mistaken me for someone who gives a damn. Oh! Snap!" Ren snapped her fingers, mistakenly creating a spark that flew off her fingers and blew up a tree right beside her. "Nya!" Ren jumped back, wide eyed at the hole that was now where the tree used to be. "Oops." She said sheepishly. She promptly made the Fire Shackles disappear, and she instantly felt the burning glare of Toshiro at the back of her head. "What? I said oops." Ren said, looking over her shoulder.

"That's not the point." While Toshiro gave a lecture to a bored Rena about controlling her power and thinking before acting, Gotam watched them in deep thought.

_How strange. _Gotam thought. _That girl could only use the Shackles yesterday. She knows how to use them, yet she doesn't know how to use them. She really is a unique case._ He looked at Toshiro. _And that boy. He truly does resemble Ryuki, but has yet to demonstrate his abilities. Do they lie dormant within him, or was that appearance of Ryuki out of luck? I must find out._

"How's this?" Ren asked, the Wind Shackles appearing around her arms and legs.

"Better."

"Thank you. Now, if you don't mind, I need to finish this."

"Boy." Gotam said loudly. "I have a question for you."

"Who, me?" Toshiro asked, pointing at himself.

"Um, there's no need, fellas." Ren said nervously, trying to get Toshiro involved in this as little as possible.

"I must know. Do you have any abnormal abilities?" Gotam asked.

"Abnormal?"

"Yes. Something a human cannot do."

"I'm not a-" Ren quickly covered Toshiro's mouth, knowing that he was going to say something that would give him away, much to Toshiro's annoyance.

"Not a person with any abnormal abilities." Ren said quickly, forcing a smile. "Don't bring up the thing about you being a Soul Reaper. That will only cause more problems for us." Ren said quietly. She removed her hand from Toshiro's mouth, ignoring how irritated Toshiro looked. "I thought you said that I was to divert my attention away from my friends, yet you are doing the exact opposite. Are we gonna fight or what?"

"I asked a question, and I intend to get it answered." Gotam walked towards Toshiro, who cautiously took a couple steps back. But, Ren did not move away.

"Dammit, you bastard. No means no." Ren said firmly, Gotam outstretched an arm, and a sword shape appeared around his palm. "You get away from Shiro right...this...ins..." Ren trailed off as the weapon formed in Gotam's hand as soon as he was in touching distance to Ren and the others.

"How did he do that?" Steph said in disbelief.

"He brought it out already?" Caleb said, smirking.

"He certainly can get impatient when provoked." The leader said calmly.

"You were saying?" Gotam asked. In his hand was a scimitar sword with a golden coloured handle and blade. The hilt had two tear drop shapes on the top section, and it gleamed in the light. "You don't know what you're dealing with, girl." The sword gleamed again, and Ren flinched at her reflection in it.

"Uhhhh...yeeeeaaahhh..." Ren said slowly, glancing away. "I'll just be getting out of the way now."

"Ren!" Toshiro, Steph and Ichigo yelled out of disbelief.

"What? He's got a sword! How the hell am I supposed to compete with that?"

"Well, I don't know. You can use those Shackles. Think of something!"

"Ichigo's right, Ren. You've never let anyone beat you before. Are you going to start now?"

"That's encouraging and all, Steph, but I have Shackles, not weapons!" Ren exclaimed. "Look, unless a weapon of some sort materialises out of nowhere, I'm pretty much screwed." Almost as if on cue, the smoke around Ren's right wrist intensified, and seemed to glow silver. "Hello." Ren looked at her arm, watching the smoke. It spread around her hand, and in one flash, she was clutching a silver hand-held fan decorated with light blue swirls and orange tear drop shapes dotted here and there on the face. Ren folded the fan up, staring at this strange object. She unfolded it again as if checking it was real, running her finger along the edge. She instantly felt something sharp, like a knife. And, the fan looked as though it were made of wood, yet it felt as cold and as solid as steel. Ren closed it again, admiring it from every angle, even though she still wasn't sure if it was real or not.

"A fan?" Steph said, confused. "How will that help?"

"You're in my way." Gotam said simply, raising his sword up.

"Ren, look out! "Toshiro yelled, snapping Ren out of her little daydream in time to look up at the lowering sword.

"Eek!" Ren squeaked, raising her arms up by instinct, and as the sword was brought down, it hit Ren's new fan, and the sound from that clash was like two swords in contact.

"What the..." Steph stammered.

"That feeble looking fan..."

"Blocked his attack?" Toshiro finished, amazed. Ren opened one eye, and it was her turn to be surprised. Gotam tried to cut through the fan, to no avail. Ren planted a foot on Gotam, and shoved him away from her, staring at her fan again. Amazing! It looked flimsy, yet it was like a sword.

"Aw, yeah!" Ren exclaimed, grinning.

"Wow, this girl is one surprise after another." Caleb said, smiling.

"This girl is also our enemy." Etheline hissed. Caleb held his hands up with closed eyes as a sign of surrender, still smiling.

"Nya!" Ren staggered back as Gotam pounced towards her with his sword ready to slice her in two, never losing his calm expression. Quickly, Ren did the first thing that came to her head; she opened the fan out and swept it across in front of her, and a tornado shot out at Gotam. He held his sword in front of him, the tornado blast hitting it directly, yet blades of wind kept cutting away at his cloak.

"Incredible!" Steph gasped, while Ichigo and Toshiro were once again amazed at Ren's abilities.

"I know, right?" Ren yelled happily, over hearing and trying to look as if she knew what she was doing. "Now, what happens when I do this?" Ren threw the fan towards Gotam. It spun through the air with a loud whirring sound, making the air it went past whistle. Gotam heard the whistle, and glanced up at the fan, yet he was unable to block due to the tornado he was still trying to hold back. The fan scratched him on the shoulder, distracting him long enough to drop his guard, and the tornado blasted him across the ground, leaving a muddy trail in his wake.

"And there he goes!" Steph yelled, shielding her eyes as she watched Gotam go. Ren whistled, catching her fan as it flew back towards her like a boomerang. She had to admit it; it was pretty impressive what she just did. She looked at her fan, about to fold it back, but stopped herself. Something didn't seem right. She expected there to be a little blood on it, but instead, there was not a drop of red anywhere. Instead, she saw something grey that looked like liquid, yet when she touched it, it felt like it was already dried up. What was that stuff? Shrugging it off, Ren folded the fan up, and it disappeared in a puff of smoke along with the Wind Shackles. She'll think about that later.

"That was..." Toshiro began, still unable to process what had just happened.

"Incredible is what it was! I've never-" Ren raised an arm up in front of Ichigo, stopping him from finishing his sentence. "Ren?"

"He's coming back." Ren said, staring at the dirt trail leading to Gotam. Sure enough, a figure was rapidly coming back up the path, and it swooped up into the air with large wings upon its back. That figure was Gotam, and he now had large, white wings.

"Wings?" Toshiro gasped.

"Just like..."

"Ryuki." Steph finished, interrupting Ichigo.

"Ryuki?" Toshiro repeated. "Ryuki did this?"

"Yeah." Steph looked away from Gotam and at Toshiro. "When Ryuki took control of you, he was able to grow these wings on his back."

"But my clothes were-"

"They're retractable, so they don't harm the clothing. Apparently, the wings appear from these markings on his back; the same markings that Ren has."

"Markings..." Toshiro said quietly, glancing behind him momentarily. It was just like Zena told him. But, he doesn't have the markings, yet when Ryuki controlled him, they were right there, and as soon as Toshiro returned, they were gone. What could this mean? That aside, since the fight began, Toshiro had been feeling a small burning on his back, and it only happened when Ren used any of her powers. Most of the time, he felt it when Ren had used her Fire Shackles, so he dismissed it as heat from the fire, but now that it happened when she was using the Wind Shackles, he wasn't so sure. At this point, nothing seemed to make sense to Toshiro anymore.

"Hey, no fair! I can't do that yet! Get back down here!" Ren yelled, stamping her feet and waving her arms in the air.

"Ren, could you please not be childish for one minute?" Ichigo asked, exasperated.

"But he's flying! I can't fly like him! It's not fair!" Ren yelled, still throwing her tantrum and ignoring what Ichigo said completely.

"Ren, when you're done throwing a fit, we could do with you getting back into action." Steph said calmly, seeing the exasperated faces of the boys. Besides, she had to show them the right way to deal with Ren during one of her unpredictable moments.

"Huh? Oh, right." Ren immediately stopped yelling and stamping, and looked up at Gotam.

_Just like that?_ Ichigo and Toshiro thought at the same time.

"Well, he's got wings, and I haven't. This is a real head scratcher." Ren said thoughtfully, holding her chin and tapping her foot. "I got it!" Ren tapped her fist on her palm, finally coming up with an idea. "I'll need these." Ren tapped her heels together, and her Fire Shackles reappeared. However, before she could do anything, Gotam was right in front of her, just inches away from her face. "Nya!" Ren braced herself just in time for Gotam to deliver a powerful punch on her stomach. Ren gasped as she felt all the air leave her, and she was sent flying across the ground, slamming into a wall about fifteen metres away.

"Ren!" Toshiro yelled, turning around to the cloud of dust. He then saw the golden sword from Gotam underneath his chin, and the tips of his wings encased the two of them, giving Toshiro no means of escape. But, Toshiro was more concerned with the sword he was holding; even the slightest movement from either of them would get him killed.

"Get away from him!" Steph yelled, but a mere glance from Gotam spooked Steph enough into backing away, but Ichigo wasn't intimidated. He tried to punch Gotam on his head, but he ducked down swiftly and one light kick from him was enough to force Ichigo straight at a tree several metres away, which he hit with such force that it snapped like a twig.

"Ichigo!" Steph immediately ran to Ichigo and helped him to sit up. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Ichigo said with a slight stagger, but a hand on the ground stopped him from falling.

_Damn..._Ichigo thought, struggling to sit up again with his free hand on his stomach. _That was just a little of his strength. That title does have some meaning after all. If so, then just how strong is he? Can we...Can we beat him?_

"Now, I believe you have a question to answer." Gotam said, turning back to Toshiro, who couldn't take his eyes away from the sword. He knew he had to get away. Every muscle in his body screamed at him to run, but he couldn't move. He felt as though he was glued to the spot. "Tell me. If you have no abnormal abilities, then how can you see the Feathers?" Toshiro couldn't help but feel relieved that they don't know Ichigo and Ren's friend can see the Feathers, too. That would put them in unnecessary danger. But, right now, he was in even more danger. One wrong move and he would be a corpse. "Well?"

"I don't know." Toshiro said firmly, trying not to make himself come across as afraid.

"I'm afraid you will have to be clearer. If not, then..." Gotam did not finish his sentence. Instead, he pressed his sword closer to Toshiro's neck, and he immediately felt the sharp edge. That cold metal made Toshiro almost break into a sweat.

"I don't know." Toshiro said again, this time with much more fierceness. He was determined not to let Gotam intimidate him, although he hated to admit that he was doing a good job. He was already unwilling to move.

"Don't lie to me. If Ryuki controlled you, then you must be able to use his abilities. Can you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." And he wasn't lying. He honestly wasn't sure if the premonitions were Ryuki's ability or not, as part of him still thought, and wished, they were his imagination.

"I see." Gotam said, believing Toshiro. Toshiro closed his eyes, momentarily relieved. "Therefore, it would be okay to kill you. And your friend is out of commission, so nobody can save you."

"..." Toshiro ignored what Gotam said, his attention drawn to the dust cloud that Ren was in. Either his eyes were playing tricks on him, or it seemed to glow a faint shade of orange. Suddenly, there was an explosion in that cloud, and something came rocketing towards him. Toshiro quickly elbowed Gotam in the gut, pushed the sword away from his throat and jumped away from Gotam, hitting the ground with his hands on his head. Gotam, his hands over where Toshiro hit him, looked up, and he quickly saw Ren speeding straight for him. Before he could even think of blocking, Ren swiftly kneed him under his chin, sending him flying back, but he recovered and promptly took off into the air, remaining a good few hundred feet in the air.

"What the..." Toshiro sat up, wondering what exactly that commotion was. And, there he saw Ren, except she was hovering just a couple metres from the ground. The Fire Shackles around her ankles were much fiercer than before; so fierce, Toshiro couldn't even see Ren's feet. "Ren! Are you...flying?"

"Yup!" Ren said happily. "Whoops." Ren wobbled a little in the air, but she soon regained control before she could fall to the ground. "I don't know how to use the wings yet, so I thought I'd improvise. It's kinda iffy, but it'll do."

"I'm sorry I keep getting into danger." Toshiro apologised. "You must be getting tired of saving me."

"Not really." Ren said with a shrug. She smiled her happy smile. "I'll always protect my friends." When Ren said the word 'friends', Toshiro felt something sting inside him. Again, he was affected by the fact Ren acknowledged him as a friend. "Now, if you don't mind, I've got some business to finish. Steph?"

"Yes?" Steph said, quickly attentive.

"Could you and Ichigo take care of Shiro for me?"

"Of course." Steph pulled Ichigo onto his feet, and they went to Toshiro's side, helping him off the ground.

"Just hang tight for a while, 'kay? I'll be right back." Ren looked up at Gotam, who looked back at her, his expression still as unreadable as ever.

"Be careful, Ren. This guy is really strong."

"I know, Ichigo. In case you forgot, he punched me in the gut. Anyway, I'm always careful."

_You could've fooled me._ Toshiro thought, knowing first hand that Ren was far from cautious.

"To infinity...AND BEYOND!" With that yell, Ren shot up into the sky like a rocket, leaving behind some smoke and making the others cough and splutter until he smoke cleared away. As soon as she had rocketed up into the sky, Toshiro felt that burning feeling on his back. It didn't hurt, but it was to an extent that he couldn't ignore it as easily as before.

"I totally knew Ren was going to say that." Steph sighed, fanning away the rest of the smoke.

"Who would have thought that she could be so resourceful?"

"That's Ren."

"Yeah. Who knew?" Toshiro said, not paying proper attention to the conversation. He was more drawn to Ren as she flew up to Gotam, who waited patiently.

"Nice." Ren said, looking down at the ground. "Nya!" She quickly looked up again after realising how high up she was. "Right. Gotam. Gotta fight Gotam. Focus, Ren. Focus." Ren muttered to herself, tapping her head with her fist. "Wah!" She lost balance again, and she dropped a few feet down before regaining control and continuing on her path. "Also, remember to maintain balance. Man, I've never been good at physics." She reached the point where she was flying at the same level as Gotam, who was a few metres away from her. "Sorry to keep you waiting."

"It seems your friend is of no use to me. Therefore, you and I can have the match you want."

"Whoa, I don't want to fight." Ren protested, bringing her hands up. "I just wanted you to stay away from Shiro. I-Whoa-oa-oa-oa!" Ren stopped herself, loosing balance on one leg, and ended up wobbling on one leg while flapping her arms until the Shackles on her left leg was the same as her right leg, and Ren was floating with no problems. "Sorry about that." Ren smiled sheepishly at Gotam, who said and did nothing in response. "Anyway, if a fight is what you want, then that's fine. But, if I win, you don't touch Shiro again."

"Done." Gotam nodded. "I have lost interest in him, anyway."

"So, what if you win?" Ren asked.

"Nothing. I feel there is no need to make pointless bets."

"Uuuu, you're so boring." Ren frowned.

"What's going on?" Steph asked, shielding her eyes to look up at Gotam and Ren. "They're just standing there. I mean, floating there."

"Ren doesn't look like she can control her Shackles in the air. And this guy is too strong for her. She doesn't stand a chance."

"..." Toshiro said nothing, staring up at Ren so intently, he forgot to blink, and only did so once his eyes started to ache. What was Ren thinking? She couldn't control her Shackles that well, yet Gotam seemed to have much more experience than her. What was she going to do?

"Well, then…" Gotam held his sword in both hands. "Here I come." With one flap of his wings, Gotam was gliding quickly towards Ren.

"What the… Whoa!" Ren shot up a couple metres just in time to avoid a sword swing, and uneasily dodged some stabbing attacks, and each time, Ren wobbled a bit in the air. "Wow. You're good."

"Thank you. However, you're inexperience has left you wide open." Gotam slashed at Ren, and this time, he was successful. The sword scratched Ren just below her collar bone. It wasn't deep, but it was still enough for some blood to ooze out.

"He got her!" Ichigo gasped, seeing the blood on Ren's body. Even Steph was surprised.

"Ren…" Toshiro said quietly, concern all over his face.

"Dang it!" Ren cursed, poking her cut with her finger. "I am not having you scar my youthful skin!" Almost as if on cue, her cut regenerated. But, from now on, she was going to have to be careful. This guy wasn't holding back like the other two were. "Kya!" Suddenly, Ren lost balance and fell down towards the ground, prompting alarmed reactions from Toshiro and Ichigo, yet Ren still seemed pretty calm. Ren increased the intensity of the Fire Shackles, and they slowed Ren down with a skidding sound, and stopped just before she landed in a tree feet first. Although, she was so close, one of the leaves caught fire at the tip. Ren sighed from relief. "I'm okay!" She shouted out to everyone before noticing the leaf. "Wah! I'm not destroying another tree!" Ren licked her fingers and put out the fire on the leaf, saving the tree. "Now. Back to Gotam!" Ren blasted off once again, leaving a trail of smoke behind her. Again, Toshiro felt the burning on his back, and this time, it was so intense, it made him flinch a little.

"What's wrong, Toshiro?" Steph asked, noticing him flinching.

"Nothing." Toshiro answered. "I'm fine."

"Sorry about that. Again." Ren apologised as soon as she got back to Gotam in the air, who looked neither patient nor impatient.

"You obviously cannot control your Shackles as well as you thought.

"Yeah, I guess." Ren said sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head. Gotam saw this distraction, and charged towards Ren once again. "Ah! You're attacking! No time to move! I can't block either! You got meeee! Ren yelled dramatically. She smirked. "Just kidding." Ren suddenly disappeared in a flash, just as Gotam's sword slashed where she previously was.

"What?" Gotam said in alarm.

"Where did she go?" Ichigo said, voicing what everyone was thinking.

_How can she disappear like that?_ Gotam thought, looking left and right.

"Yo, Gotam! Up here!"

"!" Gotam looked up, and he saw Ren several feet above him.

"Hiiiii!" Ren said cheerfully, waving playfully at him. Then, just like that, she disappeared again.

_Where has she gone this time?_ Gotam thought. He never thought Ren would be able to move that quickly. In fact, he never thought any human could move that quickly.

"GERONIMOOOOOOOO!" Before Gotam could defend himself, a foot met him in the face, and he hit the ground in three seconds flat with a huge explosion of dust. "Wahoo!" Ren back flipped in the air, waving her fists above her head. "Man, if Guile's Theme was playing in the background, this would be epiiiiic!" Ren stopped herself, a little surprised at her reference. "Oooo, wow, I really need to stay off Street Fighter games for a while."

"But…she…how…" Ichigo stammered, trying to get a word in edgeways. Gotam, who staggered back onto his feet covered in dust, was in just as much disbelief. How can someone who cannot control her Shackles be able to land a hit on him?

"Bwahahahahaha!" Ren burst out laughing, clutching her sides. "That look on your face! Priceless. Priceless!"

"Why is she…?" Toshiro started.

"You fell for it! You fell for it!" Ren yelled, pointing at Gotam. "I can use these bad boys easy peasy lemon squeasy! I just acted like a jackass so you'd let your guard down! Hahaha! Only an idiot would fall for that!" Ren carried on laughing, while Ichigo and Toshiro had blank expressions on their faces.

"Heh heh." Steph chuckled, smiling. "I should have known that Ren would do something like that. She is an actress, after all. Guess you two were worried about nothing." Steph got no response. She turned around to face them, and was amused and confused when she saw Toshiro and Ichigo on their hands and knees with hung heads, suddenly gloomy. "Um, guys?"

"It was…a trick?" Ichigo muttered.

"She had me completely fooled." Toshiro muttered.

"Oh. So, you fell for it too."

"You mean you didn't?" Toshiro and Ichigo exclaimed, snapping their heads up to look at Steph.

"Well…no. But, I've known Ren longer than you, and I know she is an incurable prankster. Although I wasn't counting on her getting injured like that. But, she can regenerate, so it's fine, right?" With that, Toshiro and Ichigo groaned, and collapsed on the ground.

"..." Gotam picked himself up off the ground, using his sword as support, while Ren slowly hovered down to the ground, and as soon as her feet touched the ground, the Fire Shackles disappeared.

"So, do you still want to continue?" Ren asked. "'Cos if you do, then I might not be able to hold back." After she spoke, Ren raised an eyebrow in confusion. She could see the cut she made more clearly now that she was closer to him. It had vanished, and instead, there was some kind of grey line on it. The same kind of grey that was on her fan. What was that? Was it a healing ointment? Or maybe some dust? Neither seemed likely, so what was it?

"I can still fight." Gotam answered, breaking Ren away from her train of thought. She'll worry about that grey stuff later.

"Alrighty, then. Let's get to it!" Ren said happily, clapping her hands together. In that moment, there was a yellow spark. "What the..." Several more sparks appeared around her wrists, and when she looked down at the ground, Ren saw several more sparks around her ankles. With a little burst of light, the sparks were more permanent and solid, and appeared around her wrists and ankles.

"Another Elemental Shackle?" Etheline exclaimed from disbelief.

"A wotsit now?" Ren asked, over hearing.

"Elemental Shackles." Gotam answered, but his expression had lost some of the calmness that it usually held. "Of all things that could happen, this is the most impossible. A human can wield not one, but three Elemental Shackles!"

"So, what are these then?" Ren asked herself, looking at her new Shackles. In that instant, Ren immediately knew. She couldn't explain why or how, but something knew exactly what these were and how to use them. "Lightning? Lightning!" Ren exclaimed. She glanced up at Gotam. "I think I have an idea." Ren said slowly, smiling.

"She's got that look on her face." Steph said with a smile. "Better sit up, boys. You're about to see a show."

"Huh?" Toshiro and Ichigo stood up, shrugging off the embarrassment of falling for Ren's trick for the time being.

"What? Is that lightning?"

"Isn't she afraid of lightning?"

"Ren's not afraid of lightning. She's afraid of thunderstorms." Steph pointed out. "Especially the thunder part."

What's she going to do? Gotam thought, raising his sword up. His wings glowed and then retracted back into his back. Toshiro saw this, and noticed that, sure enough, the cloak on his back was unharmed. It seems Steph was right. But, what does this mean for him? Since Ryuki could use the wings and Toshiro was already receiving premonitions, then he would naturally get the wings too. But, he didn't have the markings, so that was impossible. But if it was impossible, then why did his back keep burning?

"Here I go!" Ren yelled cheerfully, moving to her right, and she disappeared.

_She's gone._ Gotam thought, not letting his face betray his emotions.

_Tap!_

"!" Gotam looked over his shoulder after hearing that sound. Nothing.

_Tap!_

Gotam looked to his left right away, slashing his sword in that direction, but he only sliced the air. What trickery was this?

_Tap!_

_Tap!_

_Tap!_

_Tap! Tap! Tap!_

"!" This time, Gotam saw it. He saw Ren appear, and then disappear as quickly as she came, yet it was long enough for her foot to touch the ground, hence the tapping. He then saw Ren appear again in front of him, yet this time, she was going the opposite direction. He then saw another Ren. And another. And another. And yet another. And in seconds, he was surrounded by dozens of Ren's, all of them circling him in different directions, and all of them with the same smile on her face.

"!" Toshiro was so amazed by this sight that he didn't even notice that his mouth was hanging open.

"Wow!" Steph said slowly.

"That's my trick." Ichigo grumbled, although he was as amazed as everyone watching.

"She's so fast!" Etheline gasped, amazed.

"Like I said, she's unpredictable." Caleb said with a smirk.

"Indeed."The leader said thoughtfully.

"..." Gotam closed his eyes, focusing on the sounds around him. He heard the wind, the trees, the breathing of Ren's friends, and even the whooshing sounds the many Ren's made, but none of what he wanted. Then, he heard it.

_Tap!_

"There!" Gotam yelled, snapping his eyes open, and making a stab attack with his sword. It hit a Ren, and she stopped moving. However, she disappeared right away. "What?"

"Oooo, so close. But, no dice!" Gotam's eyes widened. Ren was balancing on one foot on his sword, still smiling. The rest of the Ren's disappeared without a sound.

After images? Gotam thought. She's that fast?

"I'd better end this quickly. It's break time soon, and I am NOT missing out on the donuts!" Red raised her leg up, and her heel hit the back of Gotam's head, and the kicked him under the chin with the same leg, sending him flying. Ren back flipped once in the air and landed neatly with her arms outstretched. Gotam planted one hand on the ground and skidded to a stop, and looked up at Ren, his calm face replaced with an angry one.

No choice. He thought, His hand clenched into a fist, and it glowed red.

"Gotam!" The leader yelled.

"!" Everyone, except the remaining Twelve Masters, looked at the leader. Gotam instantly made the red glow around his fist disappear. Ren, likewise, made her Shackles disappear. This prompted Steph to run to Ren's side, followed shortly by Ichigo and Toshiro.

"That's enough." The leader said, his voice quiet again. "You must not use that. Not here.

_That?_ Ren thought, narrowing her eyes a little.

"My apologies, Leader." Gotam apologised, standing up and bowing his head.

"Accepted." The leader turned his head to Ren. "Girl."

"Me?" Ren asked, her usual innocent look on her face.

"Yes. This battle belongs to you. For now."

"Really?" Ren said. She faintly made out the leader nod. "Yay!"

"However, before we go, there is something we must do." The leader looked down at a figure to his left of average height. The figure looked up at him, and he cocked his head a little to his right. The figure nodded, and jumped from the gazebo. She levitated for a moment above the ground before touching down without making a sound.

"Stay back, Shiro." Ren said, raising an arm in front of him.

"I am not here for him." The figure said, the voice sounding like that of a teenage girl at least the same age as Ren, but it seemed a little less upbeat than Ren's. Almost gloomy. "I am here for you. You are clearly a unique case, possibly more so than that boy you call your friend."

"I don't "call" him my friend, he is my friend!" Ren protested, sounding a little bit insulted. Again, Toshiro felt something sting inside him at that word.

"That is not the point. You are dense, yet you show the spark of intelligence. A truly special kind of genius. But, that does not bother me. What bothers me is your smile. You are always happy. You see the fun in everything. You are a positive character." The figure raised her right hand up to her left shoulder. "That is a mistake I shall correct." She waved her hand to Ren, and a spiral of black smoke appeared from around her wrist, heading straight towards Ren.

"Get out the way!" Ren pushed Toshiro, Ichigo and Steph away from her, and she brought her arms up to her head just in time for the smoke to engulf her in a black fog that still had some gaps in it so she wasn't completely invisible.

"Ren!" Toshiro yelled.

"Are you okay?" Steph asked, worried out of her mind. The smoke disappeared after a few seconds, but Ren still had her arms up. She opened one eye, and then both. She looked at her hands, then her arms. Nothing. She looked up at the figure, a blank look on her face. The figure hesitated for a moment. After a few seconds, she brought her hand to her shoulder again, and she waved it to Ren firing another spiral of smoke at Ren. Again, it engulfed her, yet all Ren did this time was fan it away, still wearing her blank expression. There was another silence. Ren had a blank face, Toshiro had a blank face, Ichigo had a blank face, Steph had a blank face, and doubtless, the Twelve Masters would have had a blank face.

"?" Ren cocked her head to the side, confused. "Um, was that meant to tickle?"

_Why?_ The figure thought, shocked. _Why isn't my spell working on her? Nobody can resist my magic!_

"..." Toshiro stared at the figure. Unlike the other members, this girls hood wasn't hiding much of her face. He squinted a little, trying to see if he could see her face. Sure enough, he could make out a pair of green eyes, and a few bangs of black hair, as well as the almost sad expression on her face. The girl looked at him, and with a gasp, she pulled her hood down a little, hiding her eyes. She turned around and walked over to Gotam, who had stood up.

"We're leaving." She said. Gotam nodded, and they walked over to the gazebo, not saying a word. Ren side stepped back to her friends, ready to defend them. The leader looked over to Ren.

_That girl defeated a group of Feathers, two of my subordinates and overpowered Gotam, of all people. Truly, this girl is a lucky genius._

"I bid you farewell." The leader said simply as soon as Gotam and the other girl reached the rest of the Twelve Masters. With that, they all disappeared in flashed of white light. Silence followed.

"Well!" Ren said loudly, dusting her hands off as though nothing had happened. "Who's up for going to the canteen? I'm starving!"

"Sure!" Steph said happily, linking arms with Ren.

"Wait, what about them?" Ichigo protested.

"They're gone now, so they're not really any of my concern."

"Of course they are! Who knows when they might come back?"

"We'll just deal with it when they do get here." Ren said simply.

"Exactly." Steph agreed.

"Now, are you gonna get something from the canteen or what? They open in five minutes."

"Fine." Ichigo sighed, giving up. He glanced over at Toshiro, who was staring at the gazebo. "Come on, Toshiro. Let's go."

"Yeah." Toshiro finally looked away from the gazebo and walked over to Ichigo, and together, the four of them walked back towards the school. Already, the bustle and chatter of town people could be heard in the distance, along with the sound of cars. Everything was returning to normal. Toshiro couldn't even feel the burning on his back anymore, but it still left the question of why it happened. Also...

"_That is a mistake I shall correct."_

_What did she mean by that?_ Toshiro thought.

**There you have it, you guys! I've been pretty busy recently, with my driving test and an anime convention up in Manchester, plus I'm jetting off on a study abroad trip for a few months, but I will not disappoint you lovely lovely people by stopping my chapter updates, for I am taking my laptop with me1 Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, stay tuned for more, and have a gr8 summer!**


	14. It's My Turn! Earn Your Wings!

**Back again, guys! Wow, some of you are really eager for me to update, aren't you? That's great! To be honest, I didn't think it would be this popular. Well, it's not really really popular, just popular. Still! Right, then. On with the show!**

Chapter 12

It's My Turn! Earn Your Wings!

"So so what?! I'm still a rock star! I got my rock moves! And I don't neeeed yooouuu!" Steph and Ren sang loudly as they danced in front of the television in the sixth form common room. The television itself was showcasing the music video to Pink's So What, but all eyes of twenty or more sixth formers were on the two girls as they showcased their amateurish singing and dancing, matching their moves perfectly in sync. Tom, Toshiro and Ichigo, however, were a little further away in the kitchen area. Tom watched the girls while sitting behind one small wooden table along with Toshiro, who looked a mixture of bored and confused, and Ichigo leaned on the side of a nearby vending machine with his arms folded. Toshiro was watching Steph and Ren's performance, but at the same time, he was considering what happened with White Raven. Two of them underestimated Ren, and the other one? Even though he was taking the whole thing seriously, Toshiro couldn't help but be suspicious that he was holding back. Plus, there was that mysterious girl who used the black smoke on Ren to no effect. What was that ability? And more importantly, why didn't it work on Ren?

"I don't get it." Toshiro said out loud.

"Get what?" Tom asked, over hearing Toshiro's statement.

"Um...er..." Toshiro stammered, unable to believe that he just said that out loud. "I don't get Ren!" He answered, partially telling the truth. After all, Ren was more complicated than a Rubik's cube. "She killed twenty Feathers, defeated two members of White Raven, and pushed another into a corner, yet here she is now, acting like nothing ever happened. Where does she get her energy?"

"Not sure." Tom admitted. "I guess she was born energetic. And, she isn't the type to get stressed. She just lets things take their natural course."

"Is that so?" Toshiro said, not paying proper attention. Then, it hit him. Tom knew just as much about Ren as Steph did, and yet he never asked him. If anything, Tom probably knew Ren longer than Steph. Of course! "Say..."

"Hm?" Tom turned to Tom, looking away from the dance show. "What is it?"

"I was thinking...That is, I was wondering if..."

"Yes?"

"How long have you known Ren?"

"Oh. Um...I'm not sure. I was with her since primary school, but I can't really say I was friends with her back then. But, I guess, I've known her a long time."

"So, do you know anything about Ren that you wouldn't mind telling me?"

"Well..." Tom started.

"Hey, we were dancing to that!"

"Uuuu! Alright, who changed it to Jeremy Kyle?" After the protests of the girls, the other spectators muttered to one another in agreement. But, it soon turned to silence as the one who held the remote cleared their throat. It was Nathan, and he tossed the remote in one hand like a coin, smirking. He walked forwards to Ren and Steph, and the crowd moved aside to let him through as though he were Moses parting the Red Sea. Neither Steph nor Ren looked intimidated, however, even when he was within touching distance.

"Say, mind going over to your carrot top friend, toots?" Nathan asked Steph, a flirting tone in his voice. "I need to speak with Ren here."

"Don't you "toots" me. I'm not going anywhere."

"It's fine, Steph. Go." Steph hesitated, but complied and walked briskly over to Toshiro and the others, standing beside Ichigo, who was supressing the urge to punch Nathan in the face after being called "carrot top". Toshiro didn't take his eyes away from Nathan and Ren, remembering the premonitions and dreading what would happen if they came true.

"What do you want?" Ren asked. "We were in the middle of something."

"I heard on the grape vine that you've climbed up the ladder since I last saw you."

"Eh?" Ren blinked, confused. "What grape vine? What ladder?"

"He means that he heard from people something about you." Steph explained.

"And the ladder means that you've risen in rank, or gained a reputation." Tom also explained.

"Oh." Ren said simply, leaving Toshiro baffled at how little common sense Ren seemed to have.

"Exactly. I didn't believe them, of course. I wanted to find out for myself."

"Them?"

"Yep. You know, the usual people. The mentally disabled kids. The year sevens." Nathan said the different groups of people as though he were reading a list.

"..." Ren narrowed her eyes at Nathan, who still smirked at her.

"See, while my pals and I were playing with them, they kept saying your name and how you would make me pay." Hearing this, Ren couldn't help but feel secretly proud that the kids from the disabilities department and the year sevens had that much faith in her.

"That's my kids." Ren muttered to herself, smiling to herself.

"Oh?" Nathan raised an eyebrow.

"You heard me." Ren glared up at Nathan. "And you'll be wise not to mess with them!"

"..." Nathan frowned a little, clicking the television off with the remote, and then throwing said remote onto a nearby blue chair. Then, he threw back his head and burst out laughing. The crowd said nothing, yet Toshiro reacted by standing up out of his chair, ready to interfere.

"_It's my fight, and I want to fight it alone."_

"..." Toshiro hesitated, remembering what Ren said earlier today. He stayed in the kitchen area, but he remained standing, preparing to take action if things got violent. No matter what, he wanted to respect Ren's wish, even if he was reluctant to do so.

"Is that a threat, Ren?" Nathan asked, scratching his head while grinning. "Last time I checked, you wouldn't even say boo to a goose!"

"Times have changed, Nathan. I'm different from before. I'll say it again. If you mess with those kids, then you mess with me, you dig? Why, I could get you on detention if I wanted to." Nathan burst out laughing again.

"Good one, Ren. Don't try pulling a fast one on me. It's impossible for you to give me detention." Ren closed her eyes with a smile.

"It's not hard at all." Ren opened her eyes again, but kept the smile. "Especially considering that I'm the prefect of the disabilities department and I am responsible for every student who visits."

"Wha..." Nathan stammered, stunned. Then, he noticed the black gown on her blazer. So that's what that thing was. This school has changed too much since he last came. "But...The year sevens..."

"They visit during the first year, as the head of the department is their moral support and the prefect is to serve as a buddy and an agony aunt of sorts to them. Year seven is a tough year after all. So, if I hear that you've harmed a hair on their little heads, then I will harm a lot more than the hair on your head. And yes. That was a threat." Ren glared at Nathan, who no longer wore his smirk. "Those children believe in me, and I have no intention of turning my back on them." A silence came over the room. Nathan was stunned by this news. Then, he smiled. But, it wasn't a happy smile or a kind smile. It was rather threatening and intimidating, in fact.

"They believe in you, huh? Much like you believed in your friends?"

"Eh?" Ren said, a little confused.

"And you won't turn your back on them? How ironic, considering what happened before."

"..." Ren's' eyes gradually grew a little wider. Toshiro saw the change in her expression, and immediately knew that Nathan was about to dig up something in Ren's mind. Something that she didn't' want to remember.

"You're afraid, aren't you? Afraid of what might happen in the future. Are you sure they are as loyal as you say?" Ren said nothing, her mind spinning. "Are you sure you won't be betrayed and left alone?" Nathan's smile turned into a smirk. "Again?"

"!" Ren gasped, seeing only painful memories before her eyes. Toshiro immediately moved to Nathan and Ren, deciding that enough was enough.

"Leave her alone!" Toshiro demanded, standing in front of Ren, who barely even noticed he was there.

"Oh, look. It's her little brother." Nathan said matter-of-factly.

"I am not her little brother. Nonetheless, I won't stand by and let you hurt Ren."

"But I'm not doing anything." Nathan brought his hands up to his shoulders, pretending to be confused. Toshiro said nothing, and merely glared at him. "Well, whatever. But, I must warn you, that girl is not worth protecting. She's just a weak, cowardly cry-baby. Always has been. And she always will be."

"She's not a coward. And she's certainly not weak." Toshiro said firmly. Nathan paused, frowning. "But, even if she was how you described her, that only gives me more reasons to protect her."

"Tch. Your choice." Nathan turned around and walked away. The crowd, once again, parted to let him through.

"That guy is nasty work." Ichigo muttered.

"Tell me about it." Tom sighed. "But, I must say, he's done a lot more to Ren than he has to anybody else."

"..." Ren looked down at the ground, her hair hiding her eyes. After a pause, she briskly walked to the exit of the common room, picking up her bag as she moved.

"Wha- Ren, where are you going? Ren!" Toshiro asked, having to run through the door before it closed so that he could catch up with her. Ichigo watched him move, a confused expression on his face. But then, he noticed the sad looks on Tom and Steph's faces as they exchanged glances that seemed to speak a thousand words to them, but to Ichigo, it meant nothing. Clearly, they knew more about Ren than either he or Toshiro did.

...

"Ren!" Toshiro looked to his right, and saw that Ren was almost halfway down the corridor, and didn't even react to the sound of his voice. "Ren, wait!" Toshiro ran to where Ren was, yet she didn't stop walking. When he finally reached her, he grabbed her shoulder, stopping her. She started to look over her shoulder at Toshiro. "Ren, why are you acting so-" Toshiro stopped talking, interrupting himself as soon as Ren looked over her shoulder to face him. In that one movement, Toshiro saw an almost sad expression on her face, and along with it, he saw something glistening out of Ren's eyes. Tears. He blinked, and they were gone. Ren was normal now.

"Shiro? What is it?" Ren asked. Toshiro hesitated before answering.

"I...Nothing." Toshiro said, letting go of Ren's shoulder and looking away. "Nothing."

"Okay. Break time is nearly over. You should get your bag. Fifth period is about to start."

"Yeah." With that, Ren turned back around and walked away, leaving Toshiro alone with his thoughts. Those tears that he saw seemed to haunt him. Were they real? Or were they a trick of the light? He didn't know. And what did Nathan mean in his words? Why did Ren look so troubled? And, in that short conversation he and Ren had just now, Ren wasn't smiling. Her voice didn't even carry her upbeat attitude anymore. Doubtless, she'll be her usual self in less than ten minutes, but even so, the fact remained that Ren was, for a brief moment, sad; an emotion that she seemed to never express. And that could only mean one thing. If Toshiro didn't do something, then those visions were going to come true. But, what would he do? He wanted to help Ren, but if he did, then he would be going against what Ren wanted. No matter. He has to do what he has to do if it means protecting Ren from Nathan. As long as he was around, Toshiro wasn't going to let Nathan make Ren shed a single tear.

...

An hour and a half later

Toshiro was right. Ren was back to her normal, cheery self. Bu, he couldn't help but feel something was different. Even as she chatted to Steph as they queued together to get lunch with Toshiro and Ichigo trailing behind, even as she cracked a few jokes, Toshiro wasn't convinced that she was completely happy yet. She seemed less...cheerful.

"Toshiro?" Ichigo said, noticing the glazed look in his eyes that showed he was thinking. But, the second Toshiro heard his name, he left the train of thought. "What's wrong? Is it White Raven?" Toshiro shook his head.

"No. I was just...thinking."

"..." Ichigo was silent. He just called Toshiro by his name, and he didn't even correct him like usual. Something was definitely bothering him.

"Hey, Shiro. Aren't you getting something to eat?" Ren asked, noticing how Toshiro had nothing in his hands compared to Ren's plate of spaghetti and can of Coke that sat on her tray.

"Not hungry." Toshiro muttered.

"Ah, but if you aren't hungry, then you aren't healthy. At least grab a banana or something." With a sigh, Toshiro complied and grabbed the first thing he saw; a pack of egg mayonnaise sandwiches.

"Happy?"

"Yup!" Ren said, smiling cheerfully. Toshiro suppressed a scowl after seeing that smile. It just seemed so fake to him, no matter how convincing she looked. Then out of the corner of his eye, he saw Nathan, munching on an apple while standing near the counter that Ren and Steph were just approaching. Immediately, the vision he had of Ren injured and surrounded by food came to his mind.

"AH!"

CRASH!

"!" Toshiro snapped back to reality, expecting Ren to be on the ground. Instead, it was a young girl no older than twelve years old with her shoulder length brown hair kept back with hair clips, much to his relief. Toshiro saw the long pleated grey skirt, and immediately recognised her as a year seven. But, despite this scene, the many students sat at tables paid no attention to what was happening, but the ones still queuing did.

"Watch where you're going, twerp." Nathan said with a smirk, and the girl immediately went teary-eyed.

"Oh, no!" Ren gasped. She left her tray with Steph and immediately went to the girl's side. "Are you okay?"

"Ren?" The girl looked up at Ren's face, and even though she was still teary-eyed, she smiled. "Ren! That person. He tripped me. And...And..." The girl looked at her lunch. Or at least, what was left of it. Remnants of chips, battered cod and ketchup covered the floor, along with some pieces of broken plate

"Well, that's no problem. You can buy some more!" Ren said happily. The girl shook her head. "Oh. Don't you have any money on your student card?" The girl shook her head again. "Ah." Ren thought for a moment. She then tapped her fist on her palm, beaming. She stood up, went back to her tray, handed her student card to the woman behind the counter, and upon getting her card back, walked over to the girl with her tray in her hands. She put the tray down on a nearby table and helped the girl stand up. "Here. You can have mine."

"Really?" Ren nodded. "But...what about your lunch?"

"It's fine." Ren insisted happily. She looked over at Nathan and shot him a glare. "I've lost my appetite, anyway." Nathan merely smirked at her and walked out the cafeteria doors. Ren looked back at the girl, smiling again. "I insist. None of my friends are going to go hungry."

"Thank you so much, Ren! I wish I could repay you!" The girl said, beaming.

"Oh, no, no, no. There's no need." Ren got out her handkerchief and wiped away some ketchup that got on the girl's face. "Just your happiness is enough for me."

"Thank you, Ren! Really!" The girl gave Ren a quick hug, before picking up the tray and heading off, a new smile on her face. Toshiro had seen the whole thing, and was amazed at what Ren had done.

"See that?" Steph said, noticing the expression on Toshiro's face. "That's the kind of person Ren is. She is the kindest most generous person I know, and she never asks for anything in return. It's just like I said. Selfless to the very end." Steph winked mischievously at Toshiro before turning to the lady behind the checkout to get her card back, and went over to Ren, a white package containing fish and chips in her hands. They linked arms and went out the cafeteria together.

"Say, mind if I steal some chips, Steph?"

"Sure."

"We'll wait for you, Shiro, 'kay?" Ren said, pausing just before she exited the cafeteria.

"Yeah." Toshiro automatically answered, giving the lady his student card as he continued to contemplate.

...

"Uuuu, I'm not having a good day today, am I?" Ren sighed, grabbing a chip from Steph's lunch as they waited outside the corridor for Ichigo and Toshiro.

"Well, you did do a few good deeds..."

"But Nathan being there just makes them obsolete." Ren looked away. "And then there's..." Ren trailed off, not wanting to bring up what Nathan said. Steph placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, and she looked back at Steph.

"That was in the past, Ren. You have friends who won't leave you behind now."

"Yeah, I know, I know. But, when Nathan brought it up, I just...well, you know."

"Yeah." Steph offered Ren another chip, but she waved her hand to indicate no, letting Steph eat away at her lunch.

"That aside, is it just me, or is Shiro acting a little...odd?"

"Odd how?"

"Well, he's spacing out a lot, and he's looks like he's really thinking about something."

"So, suspicious odd?"

"Naaaah!" Ren said airily. "I'm sure I'm just imagining it."

"Imagining what?" Toshiro asked, suddenly by Ren's side.

"Nya!" Ren did a double take, staggering back from Toshiro, as did Steph.

"Stop exaggerating."

"Sorry, Shiro, but you startled me. Don't creep up on me like that."

"He's always like that, Ren." Ichigo said.

"I figured." Steph muttered. Suddenly, a growling sound was heard, followed by a silence.

"Ren...Was that your stomach?" Toshiro asked.

"Um...no...It was...uh...Ichigo." Ren pointed at Ichigo, a very unconvincing look on her face.

"What? No!"

"Yes." Ren insisted. Silence.

"You're hungry, aren't you, Ren?" Toshiro asked, folding his arms.

"Yes, I am."

"You're terrible at lying."

"I know." Ren hung her head.

"Toshiro! Do you have to be so blunt? It's not Ren's fault she can't lie."

"Yeah! Lots of people can't lie. Besides, honesty is my middle name. Well, not literally, but you know what I mean!"

"I get it, I get it." Toshiro said dismissively, not wanting to hear the girls argue with him anymore then he had to. He shoved the pack of sandwiches he brought towards Ren, literally forcing her to take them. "Take this."

"Wha...But, what about you?"

"I told you, I'm not hungry." Toshiro said, looking away with his hands in his pockets. Ren looked at the packet of sandwiches in her hands. She ripped it open, took a sandwich out and held it out to Toshiro.

"This way, we're both happy." Ren smiled happily. "Thank you, Shiro."

"..." Toshiro took the sandwich, suddenly reassured. For that smile seemed genuinely happy. Not like the last one he saw. Maybe those tears he saw were a trick of the light. If so, then maybe those other visions that came true were just a coincidence. Maybe...he was worried over nothing.

"Aaaa..." Ren prepared to eat her sandwich, but someone bumped into her, and she dropped it, where it was promptly stepped on by another person walking behind him. "Oi! I was gonna eat that!"

"I know." The two people stopped in the middle of the hallway, which was a little less narrow than the hall Ren and the others were in. They both turned around to face her, smirking. "That's why we did it."

"You..." Ren said, recognising them.

"You know them?" Ichigo asked.

"Yup. Wish I didn't, though."

"Ah! My friends!" Nathan exclaimed, suddenly appearing behind Ren, which made her jump. Nathan outstretched his arms, smiling. "So glad you're here." Just as he walked past Ren to join his friends, he took the sandwich right out of Toshiro's hand, but he didn't protest or say a word of complaint, even when Nathan fist bumped his friends. Nathan finally noticed the squashed egg mayonnaise and bread on the floor. "Oh, it looks like somebody is going to go hungry."

"Joke's on you. I have a pack of Oreo's in my pocket."

"This guy keeps popping up everywhere." Ichigo said, marvelling how Nathan seemed to coincidentally be everywhere Ren was.

"It's been two years since he came here. Of course he would." Steph responded. "He's always eager to put salt on old wounds."

"Sorry 'bout that, Ren."

"No you're not." Ren said simply. "I can tell when people like you lie."

"Yet, ironically, you can't tell a lie for toffee, eh, kiddo?" Nathan said playfully.

"I'm a year older than you." Ren said, irritated at his patronising comment.

_She's older than him?_ Ichigo and Toshiro thought, baffled.

"Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but, you see, my boys and I have some plans." Almost at that very moment, more teenage boys, the same age as Ren or Nathan, appeared behind Nathan, making the gang at least seven members, not including Nathan.

"Look, here, Nathan." Ren started, striding forward towards Nathan. "If you go anywhere near the disabled department, or even so much as LOOK at it, then you'll be eating knuckle sandwich for lunch tomorrow!" Ren stood just inches from Nathan, who still smiled a little, but Ren glared up at him. "You got that?"

_I've seen this before!_ Toshiro thought, wide eyed. He remembered the vision he had of Ren confronting Nathan and a group of teenagers. It looked exactly the same as the scene before him. Now, there was no room for doubt. Those other experiences were no coincidences. He really did see into the future!

"Fine, fine." Nathan said, raising his hands up in surrender. "Let's go, guys. Her Majesty has given her orders." With that, Nathan and the others turned around and left.

"Uuuu!" Ren growled to herself as soon as Nathan and his gang were out of earshot. "I'm screwed now."

"You should've just kept your mouth shut." Ichigo said.

"Now, now, Ichigo. Ren is as Ren does. Even if it means being on the receiving end of Nathan's wrath."

"Well, it's not really his wrath." Ren reasoned, turning around to face her friends. "I'm just at a higher risk of being his whipping boy...Girl...Whatever. Hn?" Ren looked over to Toshiro, who, oddly enough, was frozen in shock, his eyes shining and his face pale. "Shiro? What's wrong? You're as white as a ghost."

"Wha-" Toshiro snapped himself back to the real world, meeting the eyes of Ichigo, Steph and Ren.

"Are you alright, Toshiro?" Ichigo asked.

"It's nothing." Toshiro said, closing his eyes. When he opened them, he was once again wearing his trademark frown. "I'm fine. And it's Captain Hitsugaya to you, Ichigo."

_I'm not convinced._ Ren thought, suspicious. _But he says he's fine, so he must be. Right?_

...

"Damn...Damn...Damn...Damn..." Etheline muttered over and over again, pacing left and right with her fists clenched, looking as if the slightest remark would set her off. Caleb, though, was lounging on the ground with his hands behind his head. They were still in the city except they were in a clearing surrounded by trees in the park, yet the other members who wore the hooded cloaks were nowhere to be seen.

"Calm down, Etheline." He said calmly.

"How can I be calm?" Etheline snapped, stopping her pacing. "That woman is even stronger now! Oooo, I hate her! I hate her so much!"

"Yes, Etheline." Caleb said with a smile. "We know you do." Etheline smirked.

"But, we have a trump card. Right?" Etheline looked over her shoulder at a cloaked figure. The same one from the recent confrontation.

"Yes." She responded. "However, this might be difficult. My spell did not work on her, when it has been effective immediately with other people I have used it on."

"So, what are you going to do about it?" Etheline demanded.

"I shall try my strongest spell. If that does not work, then I have another backup."

_In that case, the girl is as good as done._ Caleb thought, frowning up at the sky. It was a shame. He was growing quite fond of Ren. Meanwhile, a shadow was watching them. It was another member of White Raven with their hood up.

"Well, I'll go and prepare things." Etheline walked out of the clearing, now much calmer than before. Caleb, meanwhile, remained where he was. This was when the person stepped out of the clearing. Caleb opened one eye before opening both and smiling.

"Hey, what are you doing here, cutie?" Caleb asked playfully.

"U-Um…" The figure started, fiddling with her hands. It was the girl who had a quiet voice. "Caleb… I need to…mmm…I need to talk to you…"

"'Bout what?" Caleb asked, sitting up.

"Well…um…" She stayed quiet after saying this. There was a silence, but to Caleb, he understood.

"Our suspicions were correct." He said. The girl nodded. Caleb stood up and threw off his cloak. Underneath it all, he wore a long, light brown trench coat, a white t-shirt, beige trousers and black boots. He eased a finger around the collar of his shirt. "Ah, it feels good getting that thing off. I hate things around my neck." He looked back at the girl, who reached her hands up to the hood. "You'd better keep yours on. I don't want anything to happen to you if this goes wrong." She lowered her hands. "Remember, we have to lay low. It's alright if I get caught, but you can run away. That's something I can't do."

"Right." The girl nodded under her cloak. Caleb placed an arm around her shoulders.

"Let's go."

...

The next day, 10:15

"Bleugh!" Ren sighed, lying on her stomach across three blue chairs of the common room, one arm dangling down to the ground and a very bored expression on her face. Steph, meanwhile, was sat next to her, reading a scientific text book.

"Ren, instead of lying there, you could do some studying." She said, turning a page in her book.

"I did that in my last double free already. Uuuu, I hate week two Fridays! Only one double lesson, and the other three doubles are all free! I may as well not come into school!"

"But you came anyway, didn't you?"

"Yeah, 'cos I don't wanna pretend I'm sick just because I'm feeling lazy today." Ren stood up with a sigh, rummaged inside her bag with one arm, and pulled out a pink Nintendo 3DS. "If you need me, I'll be on Rainbow Road." Ren then proceeded to walk out of the common room, the theme music of Mario Kart following her. Steph was left alone, and had a content silence around her in the empty common room as she read. It was because of this silence that, a few minutes later, she heard footsteps.

"Did you forget something, Ren?" Steph asked, looking up. She saw, in the distance, a figure walking through the grounds. They didn't look around or make a sound except for the noise their shoes made as they touched the ground. Steph couldn't see their face due to their back being turned, but she saw that they wore a brown cloak. A brown cloak that looked strangely familiar. Steph rubbed her eyes with one hand, and the figure was gone.

"I must be seeing things." Steph muttered to herself before going back to her book, murmuring "Now, where was I?" under her breath.

...

Meanwhile, Ren wasn't the only one who was bored. Toshiro was lounging on his back on the roof of the school, staring at the sky filled with cold clouds. It turned out that the Amber was working. His powers were partially restored, enough for him to jump higher than he could as a human. Now, he felt a little more like a Soul Reaper. He felt as though he could use less than half of his Kido spells without needing contact with Ren, although some of the stronger ones would still need the incantation. Still, he felt as though he could actually be useful in the fight ahead. Which reminded him...what exactly is White Raven planning?

_The two members who almost killed me yesterday mentioned something about Ryuki and Zena coming together and how it would ruin their plans._ Toshiro thought. _But, what plans are they? How are Ryuki and Zena connected? And...How are Ren and I related to his? Why do I look like Ryuki? Are the premonitions his ability? Why am I even having them in the first place?_

"..." Toshiro shielded his eyes as the sun unexpectedly shone through the clouds. Then he felt his back burn again before everything turned white. But, then he saw something else. Something that looked nothing like the sky. It looked like a park, and a sudden explosion of dust, followed by the appearance of a creature that looked just like the tripod Toshiro and Ren defeated just days ago, only it was much bigger, and the head had not just tentacles underneath it, but several gun-like weapons were attached to some of the tentacles. Then he saw darkness, with a few bubbles appearing occasionally, meaning that this was underwater, and he saw a figure floating in this darkness, almost lifeless. As soon as the image disappeared, Toshiro sat up with a jolt, realising two things. One, he just had another vision. Two, he knew who that person in the dark water was.

"Ren!"

...

"Now, where was I?" Steph muttered, but before she could go back to her chapter, Toshiro burst through the door. "AH!" Steph gave a start. "Toshiro? What's wrong?" She asked, seeing the look on his face that was on the verge of panic.

"Have you seen Ren?" He asked urgently.

"Yeah. She left about ten minutes ago."

"Is she at the park?"

"The park? Why would she go there?"

"Just tell me!"

"Alright, alright. I don't know. Maybe."

"Not good." Toshiro muttered, and just like that, he was gone. In that instant, Tom appeared by the doorway Toshiro was at moments ago.

"Um...did I miss something?" Tom asked. Steph simply stood up, tossing her text book aside. "Steph?"

"Tom, let's go get Ichigo. We're going for a little walk in the park."

...

"Come on...Come on...Mama needs a gold trophy." Ren muttered, furiously playing on her handheld games console while she walked. Then she heard the familiar whistle that she had just won. "YES!" Ren jumped up in the air. "I did it! I beat Rainbow Road! Nya ha ha!" Ren skipped forward gleefully, but stopped for a moment. She looked at her surroundings. She was in a large stretch of green, with a concrete footpath under her feet, and several feet away, there was a lake. She was at the park down the road from school. "How did I get here?" Ren pocketed her games console in her blazer after switching it off. "Whoops. I really shouldn't play while walking. Guess I'd better head back." Just as Ren turned around to walk away, she felt a shiver down her spine. Something was here. Something evil. And, it felt like...

"A Feather." Ren muttered under her breath. "It feels like more than one." Ren turned back around, looking left and right. Nothing. "And there's nobody here again. I must be right. But why here? Why now? It doesn't make sense."

"Ren!"

"Eh?" Ren looked over her shoulder, only to see Toshiro running towards her. "Shiro? I was just about to call you. What are you doing here?" Toshiro stopped running when he reached Ren, and promptly planted his hands on his knees to catch his breath. Being in a Gigai was nothing like being in his Soul Reaper form, where he could run much further and faster than this without getting worn out.

"Ren…Are…you…alright?"

"'Course. Why wouldn't I be?" Ren answered, her blank look on her face. Toshiro sighed from relief, sitting up after getting his breath back.

"That's good."

"Anyway, why are you here in such a rush?"

"I-" Toshiro stopped himself just before he mentioned the premonitions. He didn't want to worry Ren or make himself come across as overprotective. "I had a bad feeling."

"So, you sensed the Feathers, too?"

"What Feathers?" Toshiro said without thinking. Almost as if on cue, several explosions occurred at once on the ground, and out of the dust rose several Feathers, all of them blood thirsty and drooling at the mouth.

"Those ones."

"Oh, right. Them." Toshiro muttered, trying to look as if he knew they were there all along.

"Don't worry, Shiro." Ren reassured, clapping her hands together, making the Lightning Shackles appear instantly. "I've got this." A lightning bolt appeared in Ren's left hand, and as soon as she clutched it, it glowed and transformed into a weapon. A katana with a black scabbard decorated with yellow lightning-like stripes. The hilt was also like a traditional katana, and was yellow and black, with a black, square guard, and each corner had a small, yellow teardrop shape.

"A sword?" Toshiro stared at the weapon, wide eyed.

"Yeah. I guess each Shackle has their own weapon, like the Wind Shackles have the fan." Ren grabbed the hilt, and drew it from the scabbard. The katana was of the average length, and was definitely not as long as Hyorinmaru, which somehow made sense to Toshiro. "This won't take long." Ren tossed the scabbard high up in the air, and charged towards the Feather so quickly, she was just a blur. In a heartbeat, ten of the Feathers already had fatal injuries to their heads, turning them into ashes before they even began to fall to the ground.

_Incredible!_ Toshiro thought, amazed at how fast Ren destroyed the Feathers, and how she was making swift work of the rest. She was so much faster than before. Almost like lightning, at the risk of sounding cliché. Plus, she only just got the sword, and yet she could already wield it as though she had it her whole life. How does she do it?

"…" Toshiro flinched. His back was burning again. It was stronger than yesterday. He looked behind him at the source. It looked pretty normal to him, but knowing what was going on with White Raven, everything was far from normal.

"Last one." Ren stopped moving, stopping just before another Feather, which was almost identical to the Feather Ryuki defeated a few days ago, except the tail had an arrow shaped tip, and there were no spikes on the leg. The Feather snarled at Ren, but she didn't move. "Wait for it…" She said slowly, smiling. Suddenly, a lightning bolt crashed down from the ground, making a loud, booming noise ring out through the park. The Feather literally exploded into ashes, leaving only the scabbard of her sword sticking out of the ground like a just-planted tree. Ren walked up to it, and pulled it out of the ground, shaking off the dirt from the other end. Just before she sheathed her katana, she realised there was something on it. It was like blood, but it was grey, and when Ren touched it, it turned solid and flaky on contact. Ren couldn't help but think that it looked a little familiar. She shrugged, flicking off the blood with one fluid motion of her sword, sheathing it again. She disappeared in a flash, and reappeared beside Toshiro, making him jump.

"All done. And now, time to get some pretty trinkets" While she spoke, Ren outstretched her hand, and the Feather cores shot into her hand. She dropped them into her drawstring bag. "Thirty, huh?" She said as though it wasn't a big deal. "We're gonna need a bigger bag."

"Ren, that was amazing! Where did you learn to do that?" Toshiro almost exclaimed, still in awe at Ren's abilities.

"Funny story that, 'cos…what the…" Ren stopped talking when black smoke surrounded her head. "Hey, get outta here, you!" Ren fanned it away with her hand, and it disappeared. "Anyway, it's funny because I just guessed it would happen and, well, it did."

"What?" Toshiro raised an eyebrow, confused.

"It's weird, because I only just got the Shackles, yet it feels like I've had them my entire life." Ren looked away. "I don't understand it either, but I ain't complainin'. That's just the way it is, I s'pose. Hey, go away! Scram!" Ren angrily fanned away at more black smoke that appeared out of nowhere. "Urgh! That's so annoying!"

"Well, the Feathers are gone, so I guess we should-"

"Oops. Missed one." Ren suddenly interrupted, spotting a Feather just a few metres away. It had a light grey body, with grey markings on its lower legs, and three claws on each of its four legs. The eye mask had curled ends pointing up at the sky, and the tail had several whip-like ends on it. "Guess this one is a late arrival. I'll just have to-Argh! Bog off already!" Ren practically screamed as the black cloud appeared around her head again. "It's that stuff from yesterday! Talk about persistent! Get lost! I'm busy! I…Uuuu…" Ren trailed off, ceasing her fanning.

"Ren? Are you alright?" Toshiro asked, noticing the change in behaviour

"Feel…dizzy…Unh…" Ren's arms dropped down to her side, letting go of her sword, and she collapsed onto the ground, unconscious. Her Lightning Shackles disappeared, yet her katana clattered by her side, remaining solid as solid can be.

"Ren!" Toshiro gasped, dropping down onto his knees and trying to shake Ren awake. "Ren!" No response. She was out cold. Suddenly, the light around them seemed to dim out. Toshiro looked up, and his eyes widened. There, just inches away from him, was the Feather. It was so close, in fact, that Toshiro could smell its foul breath, and the sheer closeness of this beast made Toshiro break into a cold sweat. He wanted to back away, but fear and unwillingness to leave Ren kept him where he was. His eyes shifted towards the katana on the ground. He grabbed it and did the first thing he thought of.

"Go away!" He yelled, hitting it across the face with the hilt, and only realising after he said it how childish he sounded. It grazed the Feather's face, and it staggered back, recoiling from the attack. Toshiro took this opportunity to stand up and move in front of Ren. He had no time to be afraid! He had to protect Ren! The Feather recovered, and lashed its tail at Toshiro. Quickly, he got down to Ren, lifted her upper body off the ground and held her close, bracing himself for the attack. All Toshiro heard was the sound of whips cracking and he felt each one of them hit his back. Meanwhile, while this was happening, a hooded figure watched the scene in the shadows.

"It worked." She said. "My spell had effect. Now, I have to see if it did what I want. If not, then I have to use the other method."

"…" Toshiro flinched as soon as the Feather stopped attacking him. His back felt as though it was on fire after enduring those whips. And the fact that the burning from before was still there didn't help much. But, the important thing was that Ren was unharmed. Ignoring the pain on his back, Toshiro gently laid her back on the ground, standing up with the sword at hand.

"Stay there, Ren." He said, hoping she could somehow hear him. He grabbed the hilt and drew the sword, dropping the scabbard by Ren. He turned around to face the Feather, determination in his eyes. "You've helped me. Now, it's my turn."

_Its looks like its main method of attack is those whips on its tail._ Toshiro thought, analysing the Feather. _They're not deadly, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't avoid them. If the Feather is anything like a Hollow, it will go after me with its claws, too. Plus, this sword is strong, but I'm not sure I can do much with it. I can't use Lightning Shackles. No matter._ Toshiro clenched the hilt with both hands, ready to fight. _I'll just have to try._

Five minutes later

"Remind me, why are we running?" Tom asked Steph, who was running ahead of Ichigo and Tom.

"I don't think you told us that."

"Because Toshiro appeared asking where Ren was, and whether she was at the park. He looked really frantic, too. I just put two and two together, and here we are."

"Wait!" Ichigo yelled, skidding to a stop. Tom and Steph also stopped. "Listen."

"What?"

"Do you hear that?"

"If I could, I wouldn't be saying "what?" would I?" Steph grumbled.

"I hear it." Tom said quietly. To him, it sounded like two bits of metal were clashing at once. But, to Ichigo, he knew that sound all too well. It sounded like two swords. It sounded like a fight.

"This way!" Ichigo walked through some bushes, and he saw it. A Feather with a whip-like tail standing no less than a few feet away and there was another person with a sword fighting it. But, from the looks of things, it looked as though he was being backed into a corner. The Feather kept lashing out at him with its clawed front feet, and each time, the person blocked with the sword. "That's…That's Toshiro!"

"Toshiro? Then where's-"

"Ren!" Tom yelled interrupting Steph. He ran towards Ren, who was lying on the ground. "Ren, wake up! Ren!"

"What happened here?" Steph asked nobody.

"One of us has to help Toshiro!"

"No." Ichigo said. "We stay here."

"But-"

"Think about it! What can you do to help? You'll only get in his way. Let's just leave things to Toshiro. Have faith. He is a captain after all."

"…" Tom and Steph looked at one another momentarily, but they looked back at Ichigo and nodded, showing they were all in agreement.

"Alright. We'll stay with Ren until this is over."

"Gya!" Toshiro was knocked to the ground for what felt like the hundredth time. The burning on his back was gone, leaving only the stinging from the cuts there. But, that didn't change the fact that this Feather was a lot stronger than he anticipated. What was he going to do? Then, he realised that he hadn't tried kido yet.

"Hado thirty three: Sokatsui!" Toshiro yelled, pointing his palm at the Feather. An explosion of blue fire shot out and hit the Feather head on, encasing its head and its tail.

"Yes!" Steph clenched a fist triumphantly. Ichigo, however, wasn't so sure.

"Did that get it?" Toshiro wondered out loud, sitting up off the ground. Suddenly, through the smoke, the whip came at him, but they seemed different from before. He managed to dodge them by jumping back, but one of them hit his right upper arm, and instead of the feeling of a gash appearing, Toshiro felt the pain of burning. His hand went to the spot where he was hit, and he saw smoke rising up from it. Fire. Toshiro turned to the Feather, which now had a huge burn mark on the top part of its head. However, the whips on its tail were now alight at the tips with blue fire. His kido had damaged it, but it had also made the Feather stronger! He just made the situation from bad to worse! The Feather lashed out at Toshiro again. Toshio brought the sword up, and the whips wrapped around the blade, but the Feather slammed him down onto the ground, denting it a little. Toshiro pulled the katana out of the grip of the whips, and the Feather's tail moved back behind it, the fire on the tips showing no signs of fading. Toshiro just couldn't understand how Ren could deal with these things so easily!

But, he knew one thing. The second the Feather attacks him with its tail, it is left wide open. If he could take advantage of that, then maybe he'll stand a chance. He sat up on the ground and stood up on his feet, holding the katana out in front of him. It was definitely a lot shorter than Hyorinmaru. The kind of length that he wasn't used to fighting with, which was probably why he kept getting knocked back by the Feather. But this time, he had a plan. With a roar, the Feather lashed its tail out to Toshiro.

"There!" Toshiro put every ounce of his strength into this attack, and sliced the tip of the Feathers tail off with the sword. It twitched on the ground like a fish out of water, and the Feather roared in pain. "Yes. It worked." Toshiro clenched the sword, waiting for the next opening. The Feather pounced straight towards him, claws outstretched and mouth wide open. "Now!" Toshiro jumped towards the Feather, sword at the ready, and it stabbed straight through the monsters forehead like butter.

"Did he get it?" Steph asked, shielding her eyes. The Feather glowed and, with one final roar, exploded into ashes, along with the still twitching tail. Toshiro landed on the ground a bit messier than he anticipated, falling straight onto his knees and some of the ash fell around him like snow. The silver Feather core dropped down in front of Toshiro, and he promptly picked it up. He looked towards Ren, and did not expect to see Ichigo and the others already there. "What the…Ichigo!" Toshiro stood up and ran towards the group, flicking the grey blood off the sword as he went, the odd colour barely sticking to the back of his mind. "Why are you here?"

"We followed Steph here after she saw you at the common room." Tom answered.

"We thought you might need some help, but I guess not." Steph said as soon as Toshiro arrived.

"Ren took care of the Feathers. I only killed the last one." Toshiro said, getting down on one knee to pick up the scabbard. But, he stopped himself when he heard a groan. "Ren?" Toshiro's eyes shifted to Ren, whose hand twitched. "Ren!" Ren sat up off the ground, rubbing her eyes.

"Are you okay?" Steph asked.

"…" The shadow watching them was silent, waiting to see what Ren would say.

"Yup!" Ren said happily. "Never better! Dunno what happened there, though. That black smoke is weird with a capital W. Wait a sec, Shiro, why are you holding my sword? Where did that Feather go? Hang on…You didn't kill it yourself, did you? Did you get hurt?"

"Hey, hey, what's with the questions? I'm the one who's supposed to be worried about you." Toshiro said.

"S'What I do." Ren said. "Well, you look okay. What about…" Ren crawled behind Toshiro, and upon seeing his wrecked back, gasped "Oh my god! What happened here?"

"The Feather attacked me."

"Yeah! I figured!"

_She's still the same?_ The shadow thought, shocked. _How can she resist my most powerful spell? Nobody has ever not fallen prey to it! Her light is too strong! But, I will succeed in my mission. No light can exist without darkness._ The shadow disappeared after that, but Toshiro and the others didn't notice.

"It's not a big deal."

"Not a big deal? Of course it's a big deal! God knows how deep these are. Now, tell me, does this hurt?"

"Ow!"

"Okay, let's try that again without the attitude."

"Ren, I'm fine."

"No, you are not. Ah! Your arm's burnt and all! And it had just healed up, too!"

"Will you stop worrying about me? I've had much worse than this in the past."

"Ah, but you were a Soul Reaper back then, weren't you? You said yourself. Now that you're in that gigai thingy, you're a human."

"Well, yeah, but-"

"Aha! I just put a huge hole in your logic!"

"…" Ichigo glanced around at his surroundings. The Feathers were gone, Ren and Toshiro were sort of okay, and so everything should be fine. Then, why was he getting a bad feeling? Was there another Feather here? And, why wasn't anyone noticing it?

"Oh! Maybe I should try healing you!"

"That's a stupid idea. You can regenerate, not heal."

"You know, I've been using a lot of stupid ideas recently. Maybe I should keep a tally!"

"What's that got to do with anything?"

"A lot more than you think, Shiro."

"You know what, I don't even care!" Toshiro exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air.

"…" Ren suddenly stood up and ran off towards the lake that wasn't too far away. She just sensed another Feather over there. Ichigo saw this, and was immediately relieved that he wasn't imagining it. He had never been good at sensing Hollows and other spiritual beings.

"What now? Ren, get back here!" Toshiro stood up and followed Ren, ignoring the pain on his back. Steph and Tom were about to follow, but Ichigo blocked their way with his arms. With one exchange of looks, they understood, and stayed where they were.

"Hmmm. That's odd." Ren said out loud, staring into the water, but only her reflection looked back. "I could have sworn it was around here."

"Ren, what's got into you?" Toshiro asked.

"Didn't you sense the Feather?"

"Um…no." Toshiro admitted. He let that little argument get to him and distract him. How come she had this knack for being right? "Where is it?" He asked, attentive and ready to fight. After all, he still had the sword in his hand.

"I think it's down there." Ren said, pointing at the water.

"What? Don't be ridiculous."

"I've seen a lot of ridiculous things, Shiro. I'm sure you have, too."

"…" Toshiro looked away. She was right. Again. The fact that the visions he'd been having were coming true, and the fact that they were right next to a lake, had set Toshiro to full protective mode. Who knows? This could be the lake in his earlier vision. The water that Ren drowns in.

"So, you gonna go check it out?"

"Why me?"

"Duh! I can't hold my breath for more than ten seconds. I told you this before. Geez, you must have a memory like a sieve." Ren said playfully, tapping Toshiro's head with her fist. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the water ripple. "Hm?" Ren looked down, and saw that the ground was cracking. "Oh. I guess it's not in the lake." Ren said matter-of-factly.

"It's below us!" Toshiro realised. The ground below their feet cracked, until they were surrounded by large circle of cracks, and they were right in the middle of it.

"Nya! Not good, not good!" Ren yelled, feeling the ground gradually rise up into a mound.

"Ren!" Toshiro instinctively jumped towards Ren, grabbing a hold of her and moving away from the cracks, just as something exploded from the ground they were stood on moment ago. Toshiro and Ren landed heavily on the ground, and they both covered their heads from the dirt, grass and mud showering on them. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Ren answered. She sat up, and went wide eyed at what she saw.

"!" Ichigo saw the Feather before them, and was utterly speechless.

"Ho, Nellie." Tom muttered, while Steph's mouth was hanging open. In the middle of the park was a giant Feather similar to the tripod-like Feather Ren and Toshiro defeated days ago. However, this one looked very different. The head was larger, there were more tentacles under the base of its head, and some of the tentacles had weapons that looked like guns on the tips.

"Holy crap! Is that…Is that a Feather?"

"It's massive!"

"Are those guns?" Ren stood up, and squinted her eyes at the tentacles, and the Feather fired a green laser at Ren, making a dent in the ground behind her, but nobody noticed how it had passed right through her. Ren responded to the miniature explosion with a yelp. "It's got guns!" Ren narrowed her eyes, annoyed. "I know I said this before, but I think H.G. Wells is gonna sue somebody. I mean, if he were alive."

"Ren, I am going to explain everything wrong with your referencing later, but right now, we need to take care of this." Toshiro said briskly, standing up and getting to Ren's side.

"Oh. Um, right. Let's go!" Ren threw her blazer onto the ground and clapped her hands once. Nothing happened. "Ari?" Ren blinked. She looked at her hands. She clapped them again. Nothing.

"Ren, stop goofing around!"

"I'm not! It's the Shackles that are goofing around! Oh wait, I have others." Ren crossed her arms in front of her. Nothing happened again. "They're not coming out."

"They're what?"

"The Shackles. They're not appearing." Ren waved her right wrist in front of Toshiro's eyes. "See?"

"I see it. I just don't believe it." Toshiro said slowly, unable to believe what was happening.

"Why aren't they appearing?" Ren exclaimed. "I don't get it! Why is this-Nya!" Ren was cut short when a tentacle shot out to Ren, pinning her arms to her side.

"Ren!" Toshiro made a grab for Ren, but she went out of reach, being held high up in the air, right next to the Feather's huge head. Even from that far away, Toshiro could still hear Ren yelling at the Feather, refusing to go down without a fight, even if her feet couldn't reach the tentacle she was wrapped around in. Determined to set Ren free, Toshiro gripped Ren's sword in his hands and charged straight at one of the three legs. "Let her go!" Toshiro yelled, slashing at the leg. It barely even made a scratch. The Feather tilted its head down at Toshiro. It got down to ground level with him, and Toshiro could only walk back from it, intimidated by the sheer size of it. The Feather aimed a tentacle at Toshiro, and he braced himself just in time for it to fire a pulse at the ground, blowing up that ground with a huge explosion of soil and grass that sent Toshiro flying. He skidded along the ground, making a path of mud in his wake and making the stinging pain on his back even worse.

"Toshiro!"

"Are you alright?" Steph and Ichigo immediately went to Toshiro as soon as he landed near them. Toshiro painfully sat up.

"I'm fine." Toshiro muttered with one eye open, but both eyes were soon wide as soon as he looked at the cloud of dust clearing away. The Feather wasn't there anymore. Instead, it looked as though it was getting lower and lower into the ground, taking Ren with it. But, that was impossible, unless it was going in…

"The lake!" Toshiro gasped. Immediately, the visions he had that same day came to his mind. The explosion? Check. The Feather? Check. That only left one vision. Ren floating in the water, lifeless.

"_I can't hold my breath for very long!"_

"_Duh! I can't hold my breath for more than ten seconds."_

"Ren!" Toshiro immediately climbed back onto his feet and made a run for it towards the lake. Despite the evidence of the other visions being real, he was going to prevent this one from coming true. He had to! If he didn't, Ren was going to drown! He ignored the pain on his back. He ignored Ichigo and the others yelling at him to come back. He ignored every instinct telling him not to be so reckless. He only had one thing on his mind; save Ren! By the time he was remotely near the lake, the Feather head had already sunk under, along with Ren. He didn't have long. Stuffing the sword under his belt, Toshiro jumped off the edge of the lake and dove in, barely even making a splash.

He was now underwater, the only sound being the bubbles around him while he swam downwards in the lake. The cold water soothed the pain on his back and washed off the fresh mud, but that was the least of his concerns. It was too dark in the lake. And a lot deeper than he anticipated. Toshiro stopped diving under and just floated there, looking left and right.

_Where is she?_ Toshiro thought. Giving up on the Feather being that high up, he dove down and carried on swimming deeper and deeper into the lake. Toshiro knew that the deeper he got, the less chance he had of making it out alive himself. But, he was determined to find her.

_Ren…All this time, you've been protecting me. The Feathers. White Raven. Nathan. This time… _Toshiro stopped again, looking left and right. He clenched his teeth, out of frustration and determination. _I will definitely protect you!_

"!" Toshiro covered his mouth with his hand, and he felt precious air bubbles leave to the surface, which seemed miles away. Toshiro didn't have much time left. He looked down, and there he saw it. A faint shadow of a person. Ren! He immediately dove down towards the shape, dreading what he would find. And he was right to. When he got there, he saw Ren, her eyes closed and her body unmoving. The same image in his vision. Toshiro placed a hand on her face. She felt warm. She was still alive. But she won't be for long if they stayed down here. And neither would he. He saw the tentacle wrapped around her waist. He drew the sword and in one clean slice, set her free. Toshiro sheathed the sword again, wrapped one of her arms around his shoulder, and just as he began swimming back up, he saw several snake-like shapes block his way. Tentacles. He tried the other way, but they were there, too. He was surrounded by a circle of tentacles. Toshiro growled a little. He didn't have time for this!

"Hado number four: Byakurai!" Toshiro yelled, shooting lightning from his fingertip and destroying two tentacles. But, in doing so, Toshiro remembered two things. First, the tentacles multiplied when destroyed. Second, he had just wasted more air. And a lot of it. His vision was starting to go black. He could feel his lungs and muscles burning. He knew that this was the end.

_No!_ Toshiro thought. The tentacles' heads sharpened into spearheads, ready to strike. He held Ren close to his body, closing his eyes tightly. _It can't end like this! I made a promise! I can finally fight to protect Ren! No matter what…_ Toshiro noticed in the cold temperature of the water that his back was burning again, but he didn't know why, and his body felt so numb right now, he barely even felt it. _No matter what…_ Little did Toshiro know his back had two small glowing shapes, gradually glowing brighter and brighter.

_I will not let Ren die!_

…

"He's been in there a long time. Is Toshiro okay?" Steph asked, beside herself with worry over Toshiro and Ren.

"Ren can't hold her breath for that long. Shouldn't we help him?"

"No." I chigo said firmly. "We wait. If he doesn't come up soon, then I'll go."

"Fine." Tom agreed, reluctantly. He looked back at the lake, waiting for something, anything, to come up, even if it was the Feather. That's when he saw a glowing spot in the middle of the lake. He dismissed it as the sun, then he realised that it wasn't even that high up in the sky. What was that?

"Do you see that?" Tom asked Steph and Ichigo. "That light?"

"I see it." Steph said, finally seeing it. "That's not the sun, is it? No, it's still morning."

"What is it, Ichigo?" Tom asked thinking he'd know.

"I don't know." The glowing rapidly spread to the edges of the lake, until something burst out of the water so quickly, it brought almost all of the water with it, along with several machine-like tentacles from the Feather. The water and the tentacles splashed back into the lake, and the shape stopped several feet above the lake, shrouded by water and shadows. The shape was dripping with water, and looked human, yet it was holding someone else close to them, almost afraid to let go. Then, the figure unfurled a pair of wings that looked whiter than the purest snow, spreading them out wide for all to see. All twelve feet of them. The shadows cleared, and the water stopped dripping, finally revealing the winged being.

"It's Toshiro!" Tom yelled, recognising him.

"What? Toshiro?" Ichigo gasped. He looked at the figure. Tom was right. It was Toshiro. He was floating in the air, clinging tightly to Ren's body and his eyes were still shut. In fact, he hadn't even noticed he was out of the water. That is, until Toshiro felt the wind brush past his face and he realised he could breathe again. Toshiro opened one eye, and then opened the other. How did he get all the way up here? Then he felt an odd feeling on his back. Like something else was there. He glanced behind him, and did a double take. Wings! There was a pair of white, feathered wings on his back! Suddenly, a coughing sound brought him back to Ren. She was near consciousness, and was coughing up water. Toshiro instinctively used the wing to lower himself down onto the ground away from the lake. He set Ren down on the ground, keeping her upper body up while she coughed. Ichigo and the others immediately went to their side and they arrived just as Ren's coughing ceased. She blinked a couple of times, and looked around at her friends.

"I'm alright." She said in a raspy voice. She coughed a couple more times before smiling.

"Are you sure?"

"Eh?" Ren looked at Toshiro, and found herself hesitant to answer. That look on his face. It was different to the stern face she had got used to. It was softer. Kinder. Full of concern for her. If she didn't know any better, she would say that this was Ryuki. But, her instincts told her that this was her Toshiro. "Yes. I'm sure. A little wet, but I'm fine. He, I'm glad my blazer didn't get wet. My console is in there." Ren let out a small gasp when Toshiro pulled her closer to him with one arm. He closed his eyes, their heads touching. "Shiro?"

"I'm so glad." Toshiro whispered. "When I saw you in the water like that…" As Toshiro opened his eyes again, Ren saw how they shone with a new emotion. "I thought the worst."

"Nn. Sorry I worried you." Toshiro tapped her on her head with his fist.

"Stop apologising." He said a little sternly, but still with a gentleness in his voice.

"Sorry." Toshiro sighed, but that didn't stop the corners of his mouth from twitching into a smile.

"Um, I hate to interrupt, but…" Steph trailed off, pointing ahead of her. Everyone turned to look. The Feather had risen out of the water again, the water falling back into the lake like small waterfalls.

"Crud." Ren grumbled, clapping her hands. Nothing happened. "Damn. I forgot. What do we do?" Ren felt Toshiro let go of her and stand up. "Shiro."

"Stand back." Toshiro said firmly. That was when Ren noticed the wings on his back.

"You've got wings?!" Ren exclaimed.

_So now she notices._ Ichigo thought, sweat dropping.

"Yeah. I can't explain it either. But, I think it will help. You three are to stay with Ren until she can use her Shackles again."

"Right." Ichigo nodded.

"But, Shiro. You can't fight that thing on your own." Ren protested, sitting up on her knees.

"Don't worry, Ren." Toshiro said without turning around. "I'll protect you."

"…" With that, Ren said nothing more. The determination in his voice said it all. Toshiro walked a few steps forward, stopping only when he was far enough from Ren and the others. The Feather looked down at him. Toshiro looked back. He pulled the sword out from his belt, and grabbed the hilt, drawing it from the sheath. Toshiro threw the sheath on the ground and held the sword up, ready to fight. The Feather, however, turned its guns at Ren.

"Hey!" The Feather paused, looking down at the small boy with huge wings and a sword. "You stay away from them!" Toshiro glared at the Feather with a fierceness in his eyes that would be enough to intimidate anybody. "I am your opponent."

**Ta da! Wow, what a long chapter! Note to self: do not get carried away. Whoops! Well, here I am in Norway, and like I said, I am till updating my story without any problems. I mean you can read this okay, right? Ha ha! So, next chapter, Toshiro gets into his first fight with new wings. Will he be victorious? Stay tuned for the next chapter!**


	15. The Real Reason

**Welcome back, everyone! I'm not going to lie; I was worried about updating in Norway. I thought it would end up going into Norwegian or something, but I guess I was worried over nothing. Whew! But, we know that our Toshiro isn't worried over nothing. His premonitions are coming true, people say he looks like Ryuki, and he's now got wings! What will this mean?!**

Chapter 13

The Real Reason

"We're here." Caleb said in a hushed voice. He stuck to the shadows as he moved to some bushes, and the only noise he made was the sound of his feet touching the grass. He looked around him with his eyes, keeping his ears pricked up for any movement. Nothing. He looked over his shoulder and beckoned the girl to follow him. She moved quickly from behind a tree trunk and got to Caleb, holding onto his coat. Caleb placed a hand on her back, silently comforting her. "If it's too scary for you, you can back out if you want." The girl shook her head. "Alright. I think I see them." Caleb pulled down some leaves and looked out through the light. His eyes widened. Was that a Feather? And who was that person with wings? Squinting, Caleb recognised him as that same white haired boy he attacked yesterday.

_Damn…_ Caleb thought, clenching his teeth. _To think Etheline would bring out a Mecha Feather._

"What is it, Caleb?" The girl asked. Caleb moved aside to let her look, and she let out a sharp gasp. "The boy! He's…"

"Yes." Caleb nodded. "It's just like we thought. Those two are the ones we need. They could be…the key."

"You mean…" She looked away from the gap and at Caleb. Caleb smiled a gentle smile, and she understood. "So…Wh-What do we do?"

"We wait."

"Okay."

Meanwhile, the Feather was staring down at the ant-sized Toshiro, who still held the sword in his hands. Toshiro looked up at the guns underneath its head. He then recalled how the Feather fired a green laser, and afterwards, Ren couldn't use her Shackles. Maybe, that was what caused her to lose that ability. If that was the case, then he had to avoid it at all costs, otherwise who knows what would happen. The Feather creaked its head up, the tentacles moving from the lake and up its legs, where they went underneath the head and waved like snakes underneath the chin.

"Hey, Steph. Don't you think it looks like Cthulhu with those tentacles?" Ren said, pointing at the Feather.

"Oh, yeah." Steph said, finally noticing it.

"Ha!" Tom laughed. Ichigo, however, looked at them with blank eyes. How are they so relaxed in this situation?

The Feather let out a rumbling noise, and a gun pointed at Toshiro before firing a stream of red fire at him.

"Hey, no fair! The Feather has flame throwers!" Ren yelled.

"!" Toshiro dodged the fire by jumping to his left, but he could still feel the heat from the fire. The fire followed where Toshiro ran, burning the ground with a line of fire. Caleb and the hooded girl were nearby, and Caleb immediately pulled the girl away from the bushes, afraid of getting burned and/or discovered. Toshiro, however, wasn't fazed. After all, he had wings now. But, these were different to the wings he had on his bankai. He used his spirit energy to control the wings and fly before, but these wings he had now were different. They weren't made form ice, for starters, and they were proper limbs, which meant that he physically controlled them, and that if they got damaged, he would definitely feel it. He skidded to a stop, and the Feather stopped firing the flame thrower at him. Instead, it changed tentacles, and went straight to the one that fired pulsations. The one that knocked Toshiro back earlier. Toshio decided that he just had to give the wings a shot and see how it went. If it went well, then he was at an advantage. Just as he thought about taking off, Toshiro felt the wings move, ready to fly. Wings that moved on their own? How odd. Shrugging that off, Toshiro clenched the sword in his hands, and just as the Feather fired pulsations at him, jumped up into the air. The wings flapped on their own, and Toshiro was soon flying a little higher than the Feather's head. As soon as Toshiro reached that height, the wings spread out, and he remained hovering there. Toshiro looked at each wing, marvelling at how they worked.

_Okay._ He thought. _I think I have it figured out. They're an extension of my body, yet they do not require me to actually physically use them. They move by thought alone. That's good. That way, I won't have to focus on them while I fight_. The Feather turned its head at Toshiro, who immediately charged at the Feather. Using the sword, Toshiro ran the tip of the blade along the head, leaving an ugly scar upon the left side of its head. Toshiro hovered in front of the Feather, the wings spread out and remained motionless, letting him float there. _I'm a lot faster than I was on ground. It must be the air velocity that's making me speed up, but it's as fast as Flash Step, maybe even faster. Perfect._ Toshiro noticed how another tentacle was sneakily pointing at Ren and the others, who were unaware of this deception. Toshiro immediately dove down and sliced that tentacle off, letting it drop down on the ground. While he was underneath the head, Toshiro hovered underneath it and stabbed the sword right in the centre. Seeing as it was a machine, Toshiro expected to see a few sparks fly, but there was nothing. Then, he felt something drip on his face. Still keeping one hand on the sword, he moved the other hand where he felt the drip, touched it with his fingers and looked at the tips. It was grey, and it felt flaky and dry. What was it? Oil? Blood? Toshiro was so distracted by this that he didn't notice how another tentacle was pointing right at him. Just as Toshiro looked to his left and saw the tentacle, he only just had enough time to pull the sword out before it fired another pulsation at him, knocking him back. Toshiro was sent spinning through the air, before he finally managed to stop himself, and remained hovering in the sky, slightly grazed from that attack.

"Damn. It had another one?" Toshiro cursed. He looked at the sword, hoping there weren't any cracks or any noticeable damage on it, and there wasn't, much to his relief. He didn't want to see Ren's face if he broke something belonging to her. But, he had a Feather to kill. A Feather that was a lot more powerful than the others Ren and Toshiro had previously encountered. The Feather twisted its head to Toshiro, and it aimed not one, not two, but three tentacles at him. Toshiro recognised the heads. They were the ones that shot fire. The fact that there were three of them could only mean that the Feather was determined to get rid of this fly once and for all. The Feather fired the three flame throwers at Toshiro, who crossed his arms in front of him, bracing himself for the inferno to come. But, instead, he didn't feel hot. He felt…cold. He heard a crackling sound, a silence and then a smash. He lowered his arms, and looked down at the ground. There was a pile of red ice that lay shattered on the ground. Ice? How did that happen? When did that happen? And, why was he still feeling cold?

"What's going on?" Toshiro thought out loud, rubbing his head. "Huh?" He then noticed that there was something around his wrist. It looked like smoke, and it occasionally shone in the sun, like fresh snow. It was on his other arm, too. He looked down at his legs. The smoke was around his ankles too.

"What are those things?" Tom asked, noticing the smoke around Toshiro's limbs.

"I don't know." Steph answered.

"…" Ren stared at the smoke in silent contemplation, trying to put two and two together. But, no matter what she thought of, nothing seemed to make sense. However, they did look rather familiar to her.

"Caleb!" The girl gasped, turning to Caleb, who had noticed the smoke, too.

"Yeah, I know." Caleb said. "Now, there is no more room for doubt."

"What are these things?" Toshiro said, looking at the smoke over and over again. He rubbed his eyes with his free hand, and looked at his wrists again. They were still there. The Feather's growl brought Toshiro back to his senses. Several of the ordinary Feather tentacles shot out at him, their heads spears. With a yelp, Toshiro instinctively dropped the sword and thrust his hands out if front of him. Frost instantly shot out of them and encased all of the tentacles. As soon as the frost cleared, the tentacles were literally frozen where they were, before they dropped to the ground and shattered into tiny pieces.

"Did I…?" Toshiro started, looking at his hands again.

"Did he freeze them?" Ichigo said, seeing what just happened. "It's just like Hyorinmaru."

"Odd…" Ren said slowly, standing up to see if she could get a closer look. Ren stood on her toes, and her heels tapped together out of habit. Suddenly, her Fire Shackles appeared around her wrists and ankles. "Wah!"

"What's wrong, Ren?" Tom asked, hearing her yelp. Ren looked at her hands, feeling the familiar and reassuring warmth from the fire.

"They're back? They're back!" Ren exclaimed. She glanced up at the Feather. "And I have an idea." She said, smiling. Steph, recognising that look on her face, smirked. That Feather was done for. "Ren's back, baby!" Ren yelled, blasting off into the sky and straight at the Feather. In seconds, she was hovering by Toshiro's side, and her sudden appearance snapped him back to reality.

"Whoa!"

"Hi, Shiro." Ren said happily, giving him a little wave.

"Your Shackles…" Toshiro said rather stupidly, pointing at her ankles feebly.

"Yup, they're back. And I guess you have them, too."

"What do you mean?"

"That smoke. I think I know what they are. See, when Ryuki appeared, he had this weird smoke around his wrists and ankles. And it looks just like that." Ren pointed at the Shackle around Toshiro's left wrist. "Now, I know this sounds crazy but…I think that's Ryuki's ability."

"!" Toshiro's eyes widened, the words echoing through his head so many times, it gave him a headache.

"_I think that's Ryuki's ability."_

_First the premonitions, then the wings, now this?_ Toshiro thought, still in shock. _What the hell is going on?_

"Shiiiiirooooo!" Ren said loudly to get his attention. "Are we gonna whoop this things ass or what?"

"R-R-Right. Yeah." Toshiro said quickly. "Um, do you want this back?" Toshiro asked, pointing at the sword that was in the ground and next to Ren's discarded blazer.

"Nah. Keep it there for now. I have a plan anyway. But, I'll need your help."

"Just tell me what to do." Toshiro said, ready to help.

"Alright." Ren placed a hand on his shoulder and whispered into his ear. After a few seconds, she pulled away. "Well? What do you think?"

"It's a little risky." Toshiro admitted. "I don't even know how these things work, anyway."

"Just leave it to luck! That's what I do! "Ren said cheerfully.

"Yes, but you are a special case." The Feather growled and aimed some if its guns at the two of them. "On second thought, let's do it. Let's leave it to luck!" Toshiro quickly changed his mind, not wanting to get burned.

"Alrighty then." Ren cupped her hands to her right side, and a fireball developed between her hands. At the same time, Toshiro placed the heels of his hands together in front of him, and sure enough, a ball of frost developed in his hands. "You ready?"

"Yeah." Toshiro nodded.

"Wait for my signal." The Feather growled and fired the three guns of red fire at them once again.

"Ka-me-ha-meeeee…" Ren said slowly. "HAAAA!" Taking that as the signal, albeit a rather unusual one, Toshiro released the frost around his hands into a huge blast, and simultaneously, the fire Ren shot was also a long stream of orange fire. The frost and fire travelled towards the red fire, and they twisted together into a spiral, drilling through the red fire and extinguishing it. It hit the Feather head on, and there were drops of grey liquid flowing out until it started to stagger and it slowly leaned to the right. With a long and loud creak, the Feather toppled onto the ground, and remained there.

"WOO HOO!" Ren back flipped in the air. "I didn't expect that spiral-y thing to happen, but that was freakin' awesome!"

"It was amazing, but uh…what was with the…you know…" Toshiro waved a hand airily, expecting Ren to finish the sentence.

"Oh, the Kamehameha bit? Hee hee! Sorry, but I couldn't resist." Toshiro sighed and closed his eyes.

"What am I going to do with you?"

"Dunno." Ren shrugged. Ren decreased the intensity of the fire around her ankles, and she dropped down onto the ground, landing squarely on her feet. She picked up her blazer and put it back on, ignoring the fact that she was still a little wet form her time in the lake. Toshiro dove down from the sky and also landed on the ground beside her. "Gotta say, though. I am a tad jealous of those things." Ren pointed at the wings on his back.

"Oh, right. Them." Toshiro said, looking over his shoulder at them. He gave them a small flap, as if checking they were really real. They were. Why did he have them? Moreover, how did he get them? He didn't have the markings, but the wings appeared, nonetheless. Then there were the Shackles. Toshiro looked at his right wrist again, where the smoke still shone, as real as they could get.

"Is something wrong, Shiro?" Ren asked, noticing the glazed look in his eyes that showed he was thinking. "Well, I admit that it is strange how you have Shackles and wings, but it's a good thing right now. Now, you can fight!" Ren said happily. "That's what you wanted, right?"

"Well, yes, but with powers and abilities I'm familiar with. These? I don't even know what they are or why I have them."

"But you're not denying that they're useful, right?" Ren asked.

"…" Toshiro looked down at the ground. She had a good point. Sure, he wasn't sure how or why he got these powers, but they are useful, there was no denying that. With these, he was able to fight and to protect Ren. "You're right, Ren." He said, looking back up. But, he saw that Ren was distracted by something else. She was looking up to her left, and wore a face that was a mixture of surprised and confused. "Ren? What is it?" Without saying a word, Ren pointed up. Toshiro looked. "Wha…" Toshiro stammered, taking a step back. The Feather was standing up again, although a couple drops of grey blood spurted out of the huge head wound occasionally. "How is it still standing?!"

"I don't know. Shiro, grab the sword. You're gonna need it." Just as Ren said this, the sword wedged in the ground disappeared in a flash of yellow light. "Or not." Quickly, the Feather took advantage of their distraction, and fired two green lasers. One passed through Ren, and the other passed through Toshiro, once again making small dents in the ground behind them.

"What the…" Before Toshiro's eyes, the Shackles around his wrists and ankles disappeared, and his new wings glowed white and shot back into his back.

"Nya!" Ren also stared at her limbs as her Fire Shackles vanished. "That laser again. It's disabling my Shackles." Ren finally noticed how Toshiro's Shackles were gone, too. "And your wings are gone and all." Ren slowly looked back up at the Feather, which was charging a red blast on the tip of its face.

"Cero?" Toshiro gasped, forgetting how the two were different from one another.

"Well…" Ren started, a blank look on her face. "Crap."

"!" The girl watching with Caleb gasped as soon as she saw the blast. She left her position and ran through the bushes.

"Hey!" Caleb tried to stop her, but she was already gone. "Man, she's fast. Guess it can't be helped." Caleb calmly walked through the bushes.

"What do we do, Shiro?" Ren asked. "Please tell me you have an idea!"

"I don't. There's nothing we can do."

"Oh, real helpful, Shiro!"

_Whoosh!_

_Slash!_

"What the…" Ren noticed the appearance of someone else in front of her and Toshiro. A person wearing a brown, hooded cloak with the crest of White Raven on the front. "White Raven?"

_Clunk!_

"Eh?" Toshiro noticed the Feather looked different. One of the bottom parts of the legs was missing! The Feather was now balancing on two legs, and was trying extremely hard not to fall over again. In one such stumble, the blast fired up into the sky, not harming a single thing.

_Did…_ Toshiro thought, looking at the cloaked figure in front of them. _Did that member attack a Feather? I don't understand. Why is a member of White Raven helping us?_

"You will not kill our hope!" The hooded figure said loudly, her voice no longer carrying the shy, fearful tone it usually had. "I won't let you!" The girl reached up to her cloak, and she threw it off her, revealing herself for the first time. She was a teenage girl just a little younger then Ren, although she was definitely taller than her. She had blonde hair tied up in thick bunches, and each one had a pink ribbon in it, the ends sticking up in the air, giving the appearance of animal ears. She wore a blue long sleeved top underneath a short, dark pink hooded t-shirt with two fuzzy pull strings, and a cute picture of a rabbit on the front. Her light pink skirt was just above her knees, and had small, circular mirrors around the bottom edge, and on her feet were beige ankle boots and white over the knee socks with pink lace at the top. On her face was a look of determination, and her light blue eyes showed no fear.

"Who're you?" Ren asked.

"Geez, you really had to go and run ahead." Caleb sighed, rubbing his head as he walked over to the girl's side. "I told you to wait."

"I'm sorry, Caleb, but I can't let a Feather kill them. They are our hope!"

_Hope?_ Toshiro thought, raising an eyebrow.

"Fine, fine." Caleb said, smiling. "Stand back, kids. We'll handle this stubborn hunk of metal."

"Okay, I don't get it, but I get it." Ren grabbed Toshiro's arm. "C'mon, Shiro. Let's leave it to them."

"Hey!" Ren ran from the Feather and back to Ichigo and the others, Toshiro in tow rather reluctantly.

"Who are they?" Tom asked as soon as Ren arrived.

"I think they're with White Raven. I recognised that man from yesterday. I'm as lost as you are, but they said they'd take care of it, so we're letting them take care of it."

"Yes, you're letting them handle the Feather, but I am not. They're the enemy. They can't be trusted!"

"Would the enemy really fight one of their own?" Ren asked, a blank look on her face. Toshiro opened his mouth to answer, but after a couple seconds, shut it, realising that Ren was right. Again!

"How does she do that?" Toshiro said under his breath.

"Besides, you'll only get in the way. Your Shackles are turned off, your weird magic does hardly any damage and your wings have vanished too. You'll only get in the way." Ren said bluntly.

"Hey! That was cruel!" Toshiro exclaimed, taken aback at how straight forward Ren could be.

"The truth, Shiro. Not cruel."

"…" Toshiro looked away with his arms folded, not sure whether he should be embarrassed or humiliated.

"…" The girl stared up at the Feather, waiting for it to make a move. "Caleb, I think its heart has been exposed. I'll distract it, and you destroy the core."

"Right." Caleb brought his right hand up, his nails growing into claws.

"Go!" With that, the girl dashed off to her left so quickly, she was behind the Feather in an instant.

"Whoa! Did you see that?" Ren yelled, amazed.

"Yeah. I blinked, and she was there." Ichigo agreed. "Just who are they?" The Feather growled and shot a tentacle at the girl, and she promptly jumped out of the way, leaving the tentacle to be wedged into the ground, staying as still as a spear. The girl ran around behind the Feather again, and the feather followed her with its head. Caleb, seeing this distraction, ran to the Tentacle wedged in the ground, planted a foot on it and jumped up into the air, landing on a bend in the Feather's leg and leaping up onto its head. He ran to the centre, and saw the huge hole in the middle, which was made by Ren and Toshiro' combined attack. In the middle of the torn metal, ice and grey liquid was a blue sphere no larger than a football. Caleb raised his clawed hand up, and in one swipe, scratched the sphere, leaving claw markings on the surface. The cracks got bigger and bigger with each second, and Caleb jumped down from the head just as there was an explosion on its head. The Feather staggered a little, until it started to glow white, and it burst into ashes.

"Right away?" Steph gasped.

"Incredible!" Tom said, in awe at what he had just witnessed. Caleb landed on one knee on the ground, retracting his claws as he stood up, and his companion appeared beside him, catching the falling Feather core in her hand. They stared ahead of them at Ren and the others. They looked at one another, and they nodded, knowing what had to be done. The girl grabbed Caleb's arm, and she moved quickly again, appearing beside Ren in literally one second.

"Nya!" Ren was so surprised, she jumped back and landed on the ground. "Don't scare me like that!" Ren exclaimed, picking herself up again.

"Sorry about that." Caleb apologised.

"Here." The girl handed the Feather core to Ren, who after hesitating a moment, took it, and it turned gold. Ren promptly put it with the others in her drawstring bag.

"Thanks. Now who are you?" Ren asked.

"Right. I guess introductions are in order." Caleb cleared his throat. "We're members of the Twelve Masters. I am the Master of Senses, Caleb."

"I'm the Master of Speed, Lina." The girl said, her voice once again quiet.

"Huh. Seems legit." Steph said, understanding why she was so fast.

"Nice to meet you." Ren nodded at Caleb and the girl, now Lina, with a smile on her face.

"Names aside, why are you here?" Toshiro asked suspiciously. "You're our enemy. Why would you help us? And why are you calling Ren and me your hope? Hope for what?"

"…" Caleb and Lina looked at one another, and Lina had a sad look in her blue eyes. Caleb held a finger up, and it extended into a claw. Toshiro instinctively placed an arm on Ren, moving her back so that he was in front of her.

"The Twelve Masters are a…unique group among White Raven. You see, we are all different, but we have one thing in common." Caleb held his other hand up, and using his claw, scratched the palm of his hand, and showed the fresh cut to the others. To their surprise, it was leaking grey liquid.

"Hey, that's the stuff on my fan from yesterday." Ren realised, recognising it.

"And I saw it when I stabbed that Feather earlier."

"The one thing we have in common is that we are not human." Caleb continued, and the others observed how the grey blood covered the cut in a grey line, and after a few seconds, it vanished. "We are Feathers in human form."

"What?!" Ren gasped, wide eyed. The others also had a hard time hiding their shock, and Lina merely looked away sadly.

"We all have a common dream; to become human. While some of us have different goals, our ambition remains the same. Lina and I, however, do not wish to follow the mission of White Raven. That is why we are here. We believe that you, Ren, can help us find a way for us to become human like you."

"So…please help us!" Lina bowed to Ren after her request. "We'll do anything you want. We would be indebted to you if you would be so kind as to consider-"

"Okay."

"Huh?" Everybody looked at Ren, amazed at how she made her decision so quickly.

"Ren, are you out of your mind? They're with White Raven." Toshiro protested.

"I know, but I can tell that they're good people. And, they're telling the truth. I can tell when people lie, remember?" Ren outstretched her hand to Lina, who straightened up with a surprised look on her face. "I'll help you. Both of you." Lina beamed.

"Thank you so much!" Lina clasped Ren's hand with both of hers, bowing her head.

"Thanks." Caleb said, smiling with one hand on Lina's shoulder. "We will still work with White Raven, but you can consider us your allies."

"So you'll be, like, double agents?" Ren asked, tapping her chin with her finger.

"Sorta."

"Cool."

"So, is there anything we can do for you?"

"There is." Toshiro said, his arms folded and his eyes narrow, as he was still suspicious of them. "I have some questions for you."

"Ask away." Caleb said with a smirk.

"Ryuki." Toshiro said. After saying that word, Lina and Caleb's eyes widened, and Toshiro knew he had hit a spot. "I take it you know what I'm talking about and what I want to know. Those abilities I used just now were not my own. You say that I look like Ryuki. What I want to know is why. Why am I your target? Why can I use those powers? Who, or what, is Ryuki?"

"Well…um…" Lina stammered, fiddling with her hands.

"I'm waiting."

"Fine." Caleb moved in front of Lina, protecting her from Toshiro's cold glare. "If you want to know, then I'll tell you. But, I'm not sure if you'll like it."

"I don't care." Toshiro asserted.

"Very well. But first, let me ask you something. Have you ever heard of Cielvia?"

"Cielvia?" Toshiro repeated. "You're lying. I've never heard of it."

"Of course not. It is a world that nobody on Earth knows about. Even their most powerful satellite cannot find it. It is a world that exists in the skies of the planet Earth. That is where most of the members of White Raven come from, including some of the Twelve Masters. It is also where Zena and Ryuki live. Zena is the princess of Cielvia, and the heir to the throne. But I guess you knew that already."

"Get to the point!" Toshiro said impatiently.

"Alright, alright. Keep your hair on." Caleb said with a smile. "Zena, as the princess, had to choose her Heavenly Guardian, or bodyguard, when she turned sixteen. That's where Ryuki comes in. She was friends with him for many years. He had become a captain not too long beforehand, and had already gained a reputation and the title of The White Dragon, so he was the perfect candidate for the job. He knew Zena better than anybody, and he was one of the strongest captains in history. He could wield four swords at once, and he was the only one who could use the Ice Shackles. The same Shackles you used earlier."

"…" Toshiro looked down at his hand, remembering the Shackles and how they froze the Tentacles and even fire.

"The Ice Shackles could freeze anything. Water, air, fire, even time itself. Ryuki could control them with ease. He was extremely powerful, and combining that with the force of the princess made the two of them an unstoppable team. But then, two years later, something terrible happened. White Raven launched an attack against Cielvia. Lina and I were not in the Twelve Masters when it happened, nor do we have any recollection of what happened. We are not Cielvians. But, we know that Cielvia is currently in a frozen state as a result of that attack. It is neither dead nor alive, as are the inhabitants. Citizens, guards, captains, even the royal family. When it was frozen, White Raven was expelled from Cielvia as a result of a powerful barrier, so nobody could get in, but White Raven saw that the princess was no longer there. She had vanished. However, everybody else remained where they were, frozen. This was a full proof method of protecting Cielvia, but it was not immune to the magic that White Raven used to bring out soldiers and even citizens to fight on their side. Nonetheless, it prevented anyone from getting in or out. But, one Cielvian managed to escape. While they are still there physically, they can leave Cielvia spiritually at certain moments through a physical manifestation. You." Caleb pointed at Toshiro, stunning him.

"Me?" Toshiro said, placing a hand on his chest. "I don't get it."

"Remember when Dixie attacked you? One moment you were at the lido, and the next you were at Ren's school. Ren told you that someone was controlling you and acting through you temporarily, leaving you with no memory of what happened when they left. That someone was Ryuki. Your resemblance to him is uncanny, and after he appeared, you got abilities that you were not familiar with. The Ice Shackles. The wings. You do not have the markings of the Cielvians, and you act nothing like Ryuki, yet you still look exactly like him and have his abilities. He is still technically alive, and yet, he appears through you. What was thought to be impossible has happened."

"What do you mean?" Ren asked, still unable to put the pieces together, as was Toshiro.

"I mean that this is the real reason why he is a target. This is why he appeared to your world. And, this is why he is crucial in the battle to come." Caleb looked at Toshiro with an intense seriousness in his eyes, ignoring the confused expression on Toshiro's face. "Toshiro Hitsugaya…You are the reincarnation of Ryuki."

"What?!" Ichigo gasped, recoiling back.

"Toshiro?" Steph and Tom looked at one another.

"Reincarnation?"

"I can't believe it!" Ren exclaimed. Toshiro didn't say a word. Or rather, he couldn't. After hearing that news, he was so shocked, he almost forgot to breathe.

"That's right. You lived your life unaware of this fact, but I am aware of your abilities with ice back in your home world. That is an indirect link to Ryuki, yet it is not the same power as Ryuki. The second you entered into Earth, your powers were suppressed because of Ren's presence, making it seem as though people with your powers did not exist. Just having her there both strengthened you and weakened you. In a way, Ren was indirectly interfering with your powers, and at the same time, she was slowly and gradually awakening the part inside you that is Ryuki, until today, where you could use his powers by yourself."

"Way to make me feel bad." Ren grumbled, folding her arms.

"I…I'm…" Toshiro said, trying to get a word in edgeways. "I'm a…reincarnation?" Caleb nodded in the affirmative. Seeing that nod, Toshiro collapsed onto his knees, not noticing how his body was shaking. Suddenly, everything seemed to make sense. His similarities to Ryuki. Why his powers vanished. The Ice Shackles. The wings. The premonitions. It was all because of Ryuki!

"Shiro!" Ren got down to Toshiro's level, placing her hands on his shoulders. Her eyes widened as soon as she felt how fiercely Toshiro was shaking. She had never seen Toshiro like this.

"I'm sorry that I had to bear this news." Caleb apologised. "But you have a right to know, even if it's not the most pleasant thing to hear. And it is essential knowledge for the fight ahead. That Feather you fought with was the toughest that the two of you have faced, and from now on, the battle will only get harder."

_It's just like Ryuki said._ Ren thought.

"But…what about the other Feather Shiro and I beat? It didn't have the guns."

"That Feather was merely a prototype. A baby."

"That thing was a baby?!" Ren exclaimed.

"I'm afraid so. The one we just defeated was the perfected Mecha Feather. That only shows how much more difficult things will get. Lina and I will help you wherever possible, but if our status as traitors was revealed, then we may not be able to help you. But…" Caleb smiled at Ren. "If you have one another, I'm sure you'll be fine."

"Um…"

"Lina?" Caleb looked at Lina, who was still fiddling with her hands and glancing in different directions.

"Ren…be careful of Epona."

"Eh?" Ren blinked.

_Epona?_ Toshiro thought, over hearing the name. He stopped trembling and listened to what Lina had to say, although he was still a little shaky.

"She's set her sights on you." Lina continued. "That black smoke you saw today and yesterday? It's hers. If her magic succeeds on you, then there is no way to undo the damage. Just be careful."

"Okay." Ren nodded.

"Also…" Lina handed to Toshiro a small vial of blue liquid. "It's…It's for your injuries."

"Um…Thanks." Toshiro said slowly, taking the vial. Before, he wouldn't even consider taking the vial, but after hearing that knowledge, he knew that these two could be trusted. He wriggled the cork out with a pop, and immediately caught the stench. "Ourgh!" Toshiro recoiled his head away from it in disgust, holding the bottle at arm's length. "It smells like Rangiku's sake!"

"Ew!" Ren backed away from Toshiro. "That smell is nasty!"

"Oh, well." Toshiro sighed, standing up again. "Here I go." Pinching his nose with one hand, Toshiro emptied the bottle in his mouth and swallowed it, pulling a face at the disgusting taste. "Bleugh! It's tastes awful, too!" Almost immediately, Toshiro felt the cuts on his back seal up, and looking at his arms, the grazes vanished before his eyes.

"Whoa." Tom said, open mouthed. "Just when I thought I'd seen it all."

"Thank you for-" Ren looked back at Caleb and Lina…but they were gone. It was as if they weren't there. But they were. The knowledge of Toshiro and Ryuki was still there. Toshiro… Ren looked back at Toshiro, who was staring at the empty vial in his hand. But, he was actually looking at how his hand was still shaking. He grabbed the wrist with the other hand to try and stop it from shaking, but it still trembled like a leaf. Giving up, Toshiro let his arms hang by his sides, dropping the empty bottle on the ground. The news he just heard…He wasn't sure if it was good or bad. It was good because he had fewer questions in his head. But at the same time, he saw it as a bad thing. The fact that he was a reincarnation made it inevitable that he would come here, and it was because of that that he was a target. What would all this mean? What was the battle in the future going to involve? For the first time in years, Toshiro was actually unwilling to fight. He was, dare he say it, scared.

"Shiro?" Ren said quietly, placing an arm around his shoulders. He didn't even react. He remained looking at the ground, a lost look in his eyes. "Are you okay?" Ren asked. Toshiro finally noticed Ren, and looked up at the concerned expression on her face. Toshiro couldn't say anything, so he closed his eyes and shook his head before looking back at the ground again.

"Ren? Is there anything we can do?" Steph asked.

"Please. Tell the school that we're going home. I've got frees for the rest of the day, so I'll go with Shiro. Ichigo, you wanna come with?"

"Yeah." Ichigo went to Toshiro and Ren. "We're heading back, Toshiro." Ichigo said, just in case he didn't catch what Ren said. No response. "Toshiro?" Still nothing. That worried Ichigo more than anything. No short tempered bursts. No corrections of calling him captain. Not even an icy glare. It was like Toshiro had just shut down completely.

"Just tell them that um…" Ren glanced away, trying to think of an excuse. "That's we've got a cold. I mean, we did get wet in the lake and all, so that's a good excuse. Can you two be our alibis, or whatever?"

_That is not a good excuse._ Ichigo thought.

"Yeah, that's believable."

"No problem, Ren. We'll tell them that you're ill." Tom said.

_They agree with her?_ Ichigo thought, sweat dropping on the inside. _This girl is really rubbish at lying, and they're stupid for thinking it's a good lie._

"Thanks guy. I appreciate it. I'm going to get our stuff. We'll see you next Monday."

"'Kay!" Steph said happily, waving them off. Ren and Ichigo started to walk away and Ren had to practically guide Toshiro to where they were going. As soon as they were out of eyesight, Tom and Steph exchanged worried glances, both for Toshiro and for their role in all of this. Soon, things will be so bad that even excuses and alibis wouldn't be enough for them to help Ren.

…

Saturday, 11:20pm

Toshiro lounged on the roof of Ren's house, staring up at the many stars in the sky. After the day he had yesterday, the stars just didn't comfort him the way they used to in the past. To him, the stars were just white spots on the sky. Ever since they got home, Toshiro hadn't come out of his room. He just wasn't in the mood to see Ren or Ichigo at the moment, and he didn't want them to see him the way he was now. He needed time alone, and time with his thoughts. He'd had that, but he was still the same. With a sigh, Toshiro sat up and continued looking at the sky, his knees drawn up. What was he going to do now? What should he do?

_Rustle_

"Hm?" Toshiro glanced down at where the sound was coming from. There was a shuffling sound below the roof, as if something was trying to get up. Suddenly, a hand slapped onto the roof, followed by an arm, and then a head. Ren.

"Aha!" Ren said triumphantly. "Ichigo was right!"

"Ren?" Toshiro muttered.

"Upsy daisy." Ren clambered onto the roof of her house and stood up rather uneasily. With a wobble, she turned around to look at Toshiro. She was dressed in her jeans again, but this time, she wore a yellow t-shirt that had three pink butterflies on the front and had blue Crocs on her feet. Ren wobbled up to the top of the roof, and she sat herself down beside Toshiro. "So I see that this little bear finally got out of his cave." Ren said playfully.

"Uh huh." Toshiro said in an absent minded tone.

"Uh huh?" Ren repeated, narrowing her eyes. "That's all you have to say?"

"Uh huh." Toshiro said again.

"Uuuu! You're boring!"

"Why do you always make that noise?"

"What noise?" Ren asked, her usual blank look on her face.

"That "Uuuu" noise."

"Oooooh. That." Silence. Ren shrugged her shoulders, making an "I dunno" noise.

"Ren, sometimes, you are so weird."

"Thanks!" Ren said happily.

"I didn't mean it as a compliment."

"I know!"

"Huh?"

"That's why I said thanks! The worlds gotta have weird people in it, 'cos without them, then the world would be a boring place."

"I never thought about it like that." Toshiro said, stunned at Ren's logic.

"That's my theory anyway. But…" Ren glanced away. "People have called me weird before, and not in a nice way."

"I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologising?"

"I just thought it was the right response."

"Oh. Thanks." Ren looked up at the sky. "Why do you come up here?"

"I like looking at the sky."

"Hm. Yeah, I can see why. I used to do it all the time when I was little. Because I live in the countryside, you can see a lot more stars in the sky than you can in the city."

"I noticed."

"For example, see that consolation there?" Ren pointed up at the sky. "That's Orion."

"I see it."

"And that there's Orion's Belt."

"I always wondered what they looked like."

"Well, now you know. Hey…there's something under Orion's Belt."

"Ren, that's ridiculous. What could possibly be-You're right, there is. What is that? A sword?"

"Or maybe a…" Ren trailed off, letting Toshiro put the pieces together, which he finally did.

"Oh, come on, Ren. That's gross! Dah! Now I can't get that image out of my head!" After that, Ren hit Toshiro behind his head. "Ow! Why did you do that?" Toshiro asked, rubbing the spot where Ren just hit him.

"I was getting the image out of your head." Ren said simply.

"I take back what I said. You are in a special place that is beyond weird. In fact, you're downright random."

"Yay! I'm unique!" Ren cheered, throwing her arms up in the air.

"Why are you here again?"

"I was looking for you. You hadn't come out of your bedroom since we got home, and when your door was open, you weren't there. Ichigo said you might be on the roof, so I went out to look, and…here I am."

"That's not what I meant." Toshiro said, shaking his head. "I mean…why are you here?" Toshiro asked again, putting extra emphasis on the word "why".

"Oh." Ren went quiet after that, looking away. "Well…I was worried about you. You haven't spoken to anyone since yesterday, and I thought you might want some company."

"I didn't ask for you to come here."

"But you haven't asked me to leave, either."

"…" Toshiro flinched a little at that. Again, she was right. It irked him.

"But, if you want me to go, then I can go." Ren proceeded to stand up, dusting the dirt off her jeans. "Don't stay out too long, or you really will catch a cold." Ren started to walk down the roof.

"Wait!" Toshiro cried out, grabbing Ren's hand.

"Huh?" Ren looked back at Toshiro, surprised to see an almost pleading expression on his face.

"I…" Toshiro let go of Ren's hand, stunned at how he had reacted, and looked away. "I mean…Could you stay with me a little longer?"

"…" Ren smiled a gentle smile. "Sure." Ren sat back down beside Toshiro, but Toshiro still did not look Ren in her face, a little embarrassed at how he had acted. "I'll stay with you as long as you need."

"Thank you." Toshiro said quietly. He didn't know why, but he felt a little more at ease now that Ren was here. Maybe it was the mindless conversation that had helped him get his mind off things. Whatever it was, it worked for a while. But, why was he so desperate for Ren not to leave him alone again?

"Are you thinking about yesterday?" Ren asked.

"Yeah." Toshiro admitted.

"I know it must be a shock to you."

"There are lots of words for what I'm feeling right now, and shocked is one of them."

"Oh? What are the rest?" Ren asked, pressing Toshiro for answer. She thought that, if he just said what was on his mind, then maybe he'll be a little at ease.

"I had most of my questions answered, but I still feel confused. I just found out that I'm a reincarnation of somebody I don't know, and now that I'm getting powers I don't know how to use, I'm going to be an even bigger target than I was before. Not even you and Ichigo will be able to protect me. Just when things were starting to make sense, it goes and gets ten times bigger than it was in the first place!"

"We'll deal with it, Shiro. I know we will."

"I want to believe that, but I'm not sure. You saw that Feather. These guys are insane, and I'm the one they really want." Toshiro wrapped his arms around his knees, as if trying to make himself as small as possible. "I'm so confused. I'm angry and I don't know why. And…And…" Toshiro trailed off, unable to believe that he was opening up to Ren like this, when he had previously kept everything inside him so that not even his closest friends in Soul Society could read him, let alone a human. And, he was even more unable to believe what he was about to say next.

"Shiro?" Ren shuffled closer to Toshiro after he stayed silent for a few seconds.

"I'm afraid." Toshiro said in a small voice, feeling like the child that he kept denying he wasn't. "I don't know what all this could mean for the future. It's not knowing what's coming that's so scary. What am I supposed to do now? What's my role in all of this? What will the battle with White Raven involve? Every time I think about this, I can't stop shaking." Toshiro clenched his arms, his body starting to shake. "I've never had problems with this before. I'm used to the concept of war. But now that I'm at the centre of it all, I'm absolutely terrified." Toshiro closed his eyes tightly, trying to hold back his emotions. "So terrified that I can't take it!"

"Shiro…" Ren started, not sure what to say to Toshiro to make him feel better. She closed her eyes for a moment, but then she got an idea of what to say. She opened her eyes and smiled. "I'm here, aren't I?"

"!" Toshiro's gasped at that one sentence. He looked over at Ren, his eyes shining and silently asking her to explain.

"When thing get scary, you want someone who you know will be with you until the very end. Someone who will not leave your side, no matter what. Well, I'm that someone. I made a promise with you, and I am never going to break it. I'm not saying this because we're going to be comrades in battle, but because we're friends. And friends help each other out. They stick together through good times and bad. They listen to their problems. They comfort them when they are sad or scared. So, you can count on Ichigo and on me. Tell us what is on your mind to lighten your burden. Through thick and thin, I swear that we will always be there for you."

"…" Toshiro was speechless, touched at how Ren was willing to stay with him, even though he was a walking target.

"It's just like I said. If I abandon a friend in need…"

"Then I have no right to call myself their friend." Toshiro finished, a small smile on his face.

"Exactly!" Ren said happily. Ren edged closer to Toshiro once again, placing her arm around his shoulders. "You haven't got a thing to worry about, because I won't let you worry."

"…" Toshiro relaxed his grip on his arms. Hearing those words come from Ren, and letting out everything on his mind, from his doubts to his fears, had made him feel much better. In fact, he didn't feel afraid anymore. Just having Ren here made him feel like everything will be alright. Toshiro shifted towards Ren and placed his right arm around her waist, as she was a little taller than him so he couldn't really reach her shoulders. But Ren didn't seem to mind. "Thank you, Ren. Thank you for listening."

"Anytime, Shiro." For the next few minutes, Toshiro and Ren were silent, content with staring up at the stars in the night sky and happy to be in one another's company. Even when the church nearby struck midnight, Toshiro and Ren didn't react. At one point, Toshiro even rested his head against Ren, accidentally inhaling her scent. She smelt of roses and vanilla, and right now, nothing was sweeter.

"We should probably head back inside soon." Ren said, breaking the silence. "It's still winter, so we may catch a cold."

"I'm used to the cold."

"No excuse." Ren stood up and outstretched a hand to Toshiro. "So, you coming in, Shiro?"

"Yeah." Toshiro took her hand, and he stood up, automatically staring up into her blue eyes. "Thank you, Ren. Really."

"Like I said, Shiro, anytime. You help me, and I help you." Ren held up her little finger. "That was the deal, right?"

"…" Toshiro smiled, both at Ren's selflessness and her simplicity. "Yeah. That was the deal." Toshiro raised his little finger up, and linked it with Ren's "The promise."

"Now there's a face I wanna see more often. Smiles are an infectious disease, 'cos when you smile, then everyone smiles with you!"

"Interesting philosophy."

"My philosophy. And one of many." Ren turned to walk down but her foot stepped on some loose moss. "Nya!" Ren stumbled and tripped down the roof, miraculously staying on her two feet. When she reached the edge of the roof, she wobbled on one foot for a few moments saying "no, no, no" repeatedly, but she lost her balance and fell off, landing outside of her mother's bedroom on the low roof and making Toshiro flinch at the painful thud she made landing there. Fortunately, her mother was still downstairs, so she didn't see Ren suddenly drop out of the sky. "I'm alright!" Ren yelled, waving over the edge of the roof at Toshiro, who was a little stunned at Ren's endurance and clumsiness. Ren was totally unexpected, but that was exactly what he liked about her.

_That's right._ Toshiro thought, making his way down the roof to Ren. _Ren is here with me. I'm still uncertain about the future and what White Raven will hold for us._ Toshiro reached the edge of the roof and jumped down to the ground, where Ren was already waiting for him.

"Nice."

"Ren…" Toshiro started, turning around to face her. "Don't ever change."

"Never." Ren said firmly, her cheerful smile on her face.

"…" Toshiro smiled to himself, reassured.

_But with Ren here, I don't have anything to worry about._

**Well, there you have it! Now we know why Toshiro is a target. Plus, I couldn't resist slipping in a moment with Ren and Toshiro for all you guys eager to see a little romance. Just my way of saying thanks! Hee hee! Stick around for the next chapter, which is coming soon, but I can't say how soon just yet. Sorry, guys.**


	16. The Most Painful Kindness

**Hi, guys! So, I guess school is starting again. Or university. Or college. Or whatever it is we do these days. I just dunno anymore! Then again, my classes started near the end of August, so I guess I'm already back at school! Speaking of school, I think it's safe to say that Toshiro and Ren are going to have one hell of a day!**

Chapter 14

The Most Painful Kindness

"Alright, everyone seems to be here. First period is in fifteen minutes, so feel free to chat among yourselves." A teacher with brown hair tied up in a bun snapped closed a clipboard and left the small classroom, leaving the fifteen teenagers in the room, but some had already picked up their bags and were starting to leave the room, yet the rest remained where they were. Among them were Toshiro and Ren, the latter with her focus drawn to a shoujo manga book in her hands. Toshiro himself was sat on the windowsill, gazing out of the window down at the quad area in front of the common room that was just two floors down.

_A few days have gone by since that attack._ Toshiro thought. He glanced at a calendar on the wall. It read Thursday, so Toshiro deduced that it was nearly a week, and he was surprised to see that it said February. So, he had been here nearly a month already? Phenomenal! _No Feathers have appeared since that machine. I don't know if that's good or bad. Ren, however, doesn't seem to think it's a big deal, but then again, it's hard to tell what she's thinking. I haven't seen nor heard from those two members of the Twelve Masters, either. I haven't had any more premonitions, but the other two have yet to come true, so I need to keep my guard up regarding Nathan, but I should still tread carefully_. Toshiro glanced over his shoulder at his back. _That burning on my back hasn't reappeared, either. If anything… _Toshiro looked back out the window, his own reflection staring back at him. _It's as if there is no such thing as White Raven. But, now that I know how I'm linked to this, I have to do what I can to help Ren. The sooner my powers return, the sooner I can leave my Gigai, and the sooner I can really fight._

"…" Ren glanced over the edge of her book, looking in all corners of the room with her eyes. There were less people here than before, but she knew that they were out of ear shot. Good. Remembering where she was in her book, Ren shut her book and dropped it in her bag. She stood up from the table and turned to Toshiro. "Hey, Shiro."

"Yes?" Toshiro looked away from the window and over to Ren, who seemed rather focused, which surprised Toshiro. But, he knew that this meant Ren needed to talk about something. Something important.

"I've been thinking about something for a few days now, and I think I have a theory."

"About what?" Toshiro asked. Ren looked over her shoulder both ways before moving Toshiro's legs off the windowsill so that she could sit beside him.

"It's about the Feather cores."

"You mean those gold Feathers?"

"Yeah. These." Ren pulled out her draw string bag from her pocket, and placed it on the window sill between the two of them. "I think they're more important than we think."

"I've been meaning to ask about that. Why were you collecting them in the first place?"

"I was being smart. Anyway, I think these things might come in handy at some point."

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, you know when Pixie said they weren't important back the lido? I thought it over, and I think it's not that they're unimportant, but that she doesn't know how important they are. If they remain silver, then they can be turned back into Feathers. We've established that. But, when they turn gold just by me touching them, they become "purified", as they say, and Pixie automatically assumed them to be useless. But, if they were useless, then how would she be able to sense them? So, there must be some kind of magic in them if she can sense the, right?"

"I see…"

"Secondly, I think the Twelve Masters might know something about them. After Caleb and Lina defeated the Mecha Feather, Lina gave the Feather core to me."

"So?"

"If it was so useless, then she would have destroyed it or thrown it away. But, instead, she gave it to me to purify it and store it away. The only logical explanation I can think of is that she knows I'm collecting them, and she knows that they have another purpose besides bringing out Feathers. The only question is what." Ren picked up the bag again, and tossed it in her hand. "In other words, I think you and I should each try and find out what these gold cores can do, and how we can use them in the future."

"…" Toshiro nodded. But, he was really trying to hide the fact that he hadn't thought about the Feather cores like that. He genuinely thought that Ren was collecting them out of a random impulse, of which she had many. After all, she had taken her words seriously from the other day, and she was literally carrying a counter to keep track of how many of her stupid ideas worked. So far, she was at six, and for some reason, it really annoyed him yet amused him at the same time. Plus, Ren had actually thought this whole situation with the Feather cores through, which showed that she was a very intelligent person and can still look her usual cheerful and dense self. She really was a unique girl.

"And Shiro?"

"What is it?"

"Your powers. Are they coming back?"

"Little by little. But with Ryuki's powers coming through, too, I think I might be able to join you in the fight soon."

"Yay!" Ren cheered, throwing her arms up in the air. She jumped off the windowsill, grabbed her bag and practically skipped towards the door. "English first! English first!" Ren sang, while Toshiro marvelled at how Ren was always energetic, even in the morning. How can she act like this when she looked half-dead when she got out of bed this morning? Ren felt like one of the greatest mysteries of the world to him.

"Hey, move it!"

"Damn" Toshiro cursed, jumping down from the windowsill. There was only one person Ren spoke to like that. He left the classroom, and scowled at who he saw. Nathan. The last person he ever wanted to see. Ever since the week begun, he had caused some form of ruckus almost every single day in the school and Ren was always there to try and stop him. It's bad enough that Ren was his favourite, but her selflessness was seriously going to get her hurt.

"Nathan, I said move it. I have class now."

"What? I just wanted a chat." Nathan said innocently.

"Yeah, sure you did." Ren said sarcastically. "Now, let me through."

"…" Toshiro stared at Nathan, expecting some form of resistance. But, to his surprise, he stepped aside and beckoned her through like a butler welcoming a guest inside.

"Thank you." Ren nodded her head at Nathan, and walked past him. "Come on, Shiro." But, Nathan turned around and grabbed her arm, preventing her from leaving.

"!" Toshiro clenched his fists, resisting the urge to step in and help, no matter how much he wanted to.

"Did you really think it was going to be that easy, Reny?"

"…" Toshiro wasn't sure what angered him the most; Nathan laying a hand on Ren, or the annoyingly affectionate nickname.

"What do you want?" Ren asked, not bothering to hide the annoyance in her voice. She shrugged Nathan's grip on her arm and turned around to face him. "In case you didn't hear me, I have a lesson now, and I like to arrive on time."

"This won't take long. It's just that I've been dying to ask you a question." Nathan raised a hand up and placed it on the side of Ren's smooth face, yet she did not react. "Why did you leave school on Friday? Why would you leave so early in the school day? You said you would protect your friends and the department from me, did you not? But the fact that you left them to my wrath led me to believe that your resolve isn't as strong as I thought. You're lucky that I have a kind side and left them alone that day. After all, I know that the little-uns would be devastated if they knew you willingly abandoned them."

"Don't you dare accuse me of abandoning them!" Ren snapped, the annoyed tone in her voice replaced with an angry one. "I did it because a friend needed me, end of story."

"That's all?"

"That's all." Ren slapped Nathan's hand away from her face and turned around again to walk away.

"Hold it right there." Nathan said, deliberately placing a hand on Ren's upper back. Ren immediately stopped walking, her eyes wide. She spun around and instinctively elbowed Nathan in the gut.

"Ourgh!" Nathan groaned, clutching his stomach and staggering back a bit. He had forgotten how sharp Ren's elbows were. With his smirk on his face, he looked up at Ren, who still looked a little fearful after that sudden contact, while Toshiro was alarmed at her reaction. But, she acted almost the same way when he touched her back at the shop a month ago, so it made sense. Somehow. Toshiro counted himself lucky that Ren didn't elbow him that time. That looked like it hurt!

"Don't touch me there." Ren said quietly.

"Yeah. You hate having your back touched, right?" Nathan said, still recovering from Ren's attack. "Well, it was the only way to get your attention." Nathan straightened up, keeping a hand where Ren hit him. "I guess that hasn't changed. But, what has changed is your attitude. You used to be so different. Quiet. Weak. Helpless. A cry baby. But, you were prone to being violent and angry at the smallest thing. I liked that about you. But now, you're a different person. You keep getting in the way of my fun. But be warned, Ren." Nathan leaned closer to Ren until their faces were inches apart. Ren, who had calmed down, stared back with a neutral expression on her face. "You were my favourite toy, and if you keep this up, you'll have that title again." Nathan straightened up again. "So, what do you have to say to that?"

"Breath mints." Ren said bluntly.

"Pfft." Toshiro held back a laugh at Ren's bluntness, but as soon as Nathan and Ren's eyes fell on him, he quickly pretended to cough. Why does he always get such weird looks whenever he laughs or smiles?!

"Still nothing?" Nathan said simply, raising an eyebrow. "Let me tell you, sugar, you're going to regret crossing my path." Nathan walked past Ren with his hands in his pocket, but stopped when he was in front of Toshiro. "That goes for you, too, Snowy." Nathan placed a hand on Toshiro's shoulder, who was still resisting the strong urge to deck him, especially after that nickname. He found it more annoying than not being addressed by his title! "A little advice, man to man. Don't waste your time with that girl. She's worthless."

"I can decide for myself." Toshiro said fiercely, shrugging Nathan's hand off him. Nathan shrugged while still wearing his smirk on his face.

"Your choice, kid. Just remember; everyone has ghosts in their closet. Including her." Nathan pointed at Ren with his head and then proceeded to walk around the corner and vanish from sight.

"Damn, I have half a mind to punch him in the face." Ren grumbled. "Thanks for not interfering, Shiro."

"I still don't understand why you don't want me to do anything. No matter how much you say no, you need help."

"No can do, Shiro. I stand by what I said. I fight my battles by myself."

"Fine." Toshiro muttered, knowing that there was no persuading Ren when she was this stubborn. "That aside, what did he mean by ghosts?"

"I don't believe in ghosts." Ren said, turning around so that Toshiro saw her blank expression that showed she was clueless.

"No, see, what he means is that there is something in the past that you've been hiding." Toshiro explained.

"Oh." A pause. "Oh…" Ren looked away, avoiding looking directly at Toshiro.

"What did he mean by that, Ren?" Toshiro asked, pressing her for an answer. Ren said nothing, and only responded by shifting her bag on her shoulder.

"It's…" Ren started.

"…" Toshiro looked away, scowling. He just knew that Ren was about to say "It's complicated". Why can't she just be straight with him?!

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Huh?" Toshiro looked back at Ren after hearing that response. She was still looking at the ground, but Toshiro saw an unmistakable sad look in her eyes. Should he carry on questioning her? Or leave it be? What should he do?

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

"Dah!" Ren exclaimed. "I'm late!" Ren promptly ran down the corridor and in literally one second she ran straight into a classroom, not noticing how she had dropped the manga book she was reading earlier. "No, no, no, no, I'm not late, I'm not late, I was, er, I was here the whole time." Silence. "Okay, I'm late. I'm sorry. Hey, where's my book?" Ren poked her head around the door frame. "Oh, there it is. Shiro, come on!"

"I'll be right there!" Toshiro yelled back. It's amazing how, in one instant, Ren can act like nothing ever happened and return to her usual, happy self. But, that look in her eyes bothered him. What exactly happened to Ren? What did Nathan do to her? Better yet, what did Ren do, if anything?

…

"Okay, here's one. Which apocalypse would you prefer? Zombies or aliens?" Steph asked the two powerless Soul Reapers, Ren and Tom as they sat at a table in the cafeteria. It was the middle of the lunch rush, and there were students filing in and out of the doors, while many of Nathan's friends, and Nathan himself, were standing around doing little things like making students move to the back of the line if they were prefects, stealing their dessert, and occasionally, tripping them up.

"Oh, wow. That's a hard one." Tom said, holding his chin.

"Yeah, they're both kinda cool." Ren agreed.

"Do the aliens still do anal probing?" Tom asked.

"Not anymore but they have the gun."

"Then there's your answer." Tom decided.

"I'm going with zombies. I mean, if zombies come, then that means there are no rules, and you spend every day beating the crap out of corpses and destroying stuff! It's just like the video games, and if you ask me, that would be pretty awesome! But, with aliens, everything gets vaporised, and that's it. Our weapons don't work against them. Instant victory. With zombies, all it takes is a good whack to the head and victory is yours. Aliens; well, their weakness changes every time, from water to some weird country song to…to…whatever it is Hollywood movie directors come up with! But, everything still gets vaporised, no matter what their weakness is! If I'm gonna live in a destroyed world, I want to be able to have fun!"

"Good point. Can I change my answer?"

"No."

"Dang it!" Tom banged a fist on the table, making it rattle a little.

"What about you, Toshiro?" Steph asked, noticing that he and Ichigo haven't said anything.

"Not interested." Toshiro muttered, folding his arms.

"Aw, come on, Shiro."

"Fine. Zombies." Toshiro said in a bored tone, hoping that that would be the end of it. For some reason, it was getting harder and harder for him to say no to Ren.

"Ichigo?" Steph looked to Ichigo.

"Um…I don't know. Aliens sound interesting."

"Wait, Shiro, you said zombies, didn't you?"

"Yeah. So?"

"Don't you already live in a zombie apocalypse?" Ren asked. Silence. Toshiro and Ichigo both looked rather blank. "I mean, Hollows are made from dead souls, right? Technically, wouldn't that make them zombies?"

_I never thought about it like that._ Ichigo and Toshiro both thought, dumbfounded at Ren's logic, even if it did somehow make sense.

"Well with that bombshell, I'll go and get the food. The queue has died down a bit." Ren stood up, bringing out her student card. But, she didn't notice the banana peel on the floor behind her, while Toshiro did.

"Ren, banana!" Toshiro said quickly, standing up.

"Huh? What bana-" Ren stopped herself when she stepped on the peel and slipped. "NA!" Ren yelped, landing face first on the ground. "Uuuu…" Ren groaned, rubbing her head. "That hurt."

"Are you alright?" Tom asked, standing up to help Ren back on her feet.

"Yeah, just a bump on the noggin."

"…" Toshiro glanced down at the table, deep in thought. "It was just her head." He muttered.

"Eh? Did you say something, Toshiro? Ichigo asked, over hearing what Toshiro said.

"Um, I said that it was just Ren's head that got hurt. I mean, it could have been a lot worse." Toshiro said quickly, making a mental note to not say his thoughts out loud. He almost gave away the fact that he had premonitions. "And it's Captain Hitsugaya." Toshiro corrected as he sat back down again.

"You sure you want to pay for the food?" Tom asked Ren.

"Yeah, it's no problem. I mean, you only have two pounds left, Steph lost hers, Shiro never has an appetite, and Ichigo already ate. I've got this!" Ren insisted, still smiling.

"You're too generous, Ren." Toshiro said, grabbing her attention.

"That's just the way I am!" Ren said happily.

"I mean, you're too kind for your own good."

"How so?" Ren asked, confused.

"Your kindness is great, I admit that, but…it makes me worry that kindness will only get you hurt."

"!" Ren's eyes widened a little at what Toshiro said, and she looked away.

"Ren? What's wrong?" Steph asked.

"I'm going to get the food." Ren said, briskly walking off, but Toshiro noted how her voice did not sound upbeat as it usually did. What did he do?

"You almost crossed the line there, Toshiro." Steph said, leaning closer towards him. "Try not to touch that spot, otherwise she might snap."

"Why? What did I say that was so wrong?"

"Ren's a complicated person. There are some parts of Ren that not even Tom and I understand. The answer will come in due time."

"Tell me something I don't know." Toshiro grumbled, resting his head in his hand and tuning out Tom's insistence that he change his answer to zombies, while Steph kept shaking her head, and Ichigo rolled his eyes. Toshiro looked over to his left, where Ren was moving two trays along the line, one with two plates on it, and the other with her food. Just what was she hiding from him? Why did she behave so strangely just now? Ren was one mystery after the other. The sooner he figured Ren out, the sooner he would stop feeling so confused around her.

"I'm er…I'm going to help Ren." Toshiro said, saying the first excuse he could think of, and he stood up and went over to Ren. Tom and Steph looked at one another, confused, but Ichigo smirked a little. It seems Toshiro still hated to apologise, or even admit to apologising. Maybe it was Ren doing this to him.

"Ren?"

"Hm?" Ren looked over at Toshiro, who was right behind her. "Oh, hi, Shiro."

"Let me help." Before Ren could answer, Toshiro grabbed the tray that had Ren's food on it, while Ren went to the tray with Steph and Tom's spaghetti and beef and noodles. Toshiro noticed how there was a pack of beef sandwiches on her tray, which almost made him laugh, considering how Ren said he had no appetite. It was like he said; Ren was too generous. "Listen, I…"

"It's fine. "Ren said dismissively. "I just spaced out for a minute." Ren grinned at Toshiro. "It's all good!"

"So, you're not mad at me?"

"Nuh uh." Ren shook her head. "No point making a mountain out of a mole hill." Ren handed her card to the woman at the checkout. Toshiro looked at the cafeteria, trying to find where Ichigo and the other two were sitting, but his eyes were soon drawn to Nathan, who Ren didn't seem to notice. He was just coming towards Ren, and he finished a banana and dropped the peel on the ground, out of Ren's line of sight and making sure nobody noticed. But, Toshiro was the only one who saw. He looked back to Ren to warn her, but she was already walking towards Steph and Tom.

"Watch out!" Toshiro yelled.

"NYA!"

CRASH!

"!" Most of the students in the room stopped in their tracks after Ren fell on the ground. She was surrounded by food and broken plates, and she obviously didn't notice how there was a lump of noodles on her head. But there were hushed whispers all around, and Toshiro looked on at the scene before him, wide eyed.

"Ow…" Ren groaned, rubbing her head. "My shin and head hurt. I have two owies! I think I hit a chair on my way down." She sat up a little, a hand on her leg and her head, still not noticing the noodles, even when a little sauce trickled down her face. "Damn…"

_This is…_ Toshiro thought, recognising the image. _It's the other vision! That means…_ Toshiro remembered the final vision of Ren crying. That was going to come true any day now! But, he shook his head quickly to snap himself out of it. He had the present to worry about right now.

"Ren!" Toshiro dropped down on his knees beside Ren, skidding a little. "Are you okay?"

"I'll live." Ren groaned.

"Wow, Ren, that was quite the _slip up_." Nathan parted the crowds to look down at the food-covered Ren, his smirk on his face. "That's the second time you slipped in less than five minutes. I guess you should have kept your eyes _peeled_."

"Your puns are terrible." Ren said simply.

"You bastard." Toshiro growled. "You dropped it there."

"But who saw me?" Nathan asked, bringing his hands up to his shoulders with an innocent look on his face. Nobody said anything. "You see? What proof do you have? Ren's clumsy, so how do you know she didn't just slip? That's what everyone is going to think, so you're just blaming an innocent man for a simple accident."

"Rrrr…" Toshiro clenched his teeth, ready to hit him where it hurts, but just as he got up on one knee, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked over at Ren, who was holding him back. She said nothing, and simply shook her head at him. "Tch." Toshiro looked away. He hated to admit it, but Nathan was right. He had no real way to prove that Nathan dropped the banana peel. And, even if other people saw it, they were too afraid to admit it. Nathan was smart.

"Consider this a warm up." Nathan said, and with that ominous comment, Nathan turned around and left, letting the students get back to what they were doing.

"Ren!" Steph and Tom were beside Ren almost immediately, along with Ichigo. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Ren reassured. "But, your lunch isn't."

"That's okay. I have ten pounds in my wallet, anyway." Tom said, smiling.

"Still, though. Hey, am I bleeding? I feel something on my face." Ren dabbed her finger at the sauce on her face and gave it a lick. "Black bean?" Ren raised an eyebrow, but then her face went blank. Her hand slowly went to the top of her head, and as soon as she felt the noodles there, she sweat dropped. She promptly picked them up and threw them in a nearby bin, an embarrassed look on her face. "Let's never speak of that again."

"Hee hee!" Steph giggled.

"How can you laugh like that? Nathan just made Ren slip." Toshiro protested, baffled at how they could laugh off something that Nathan did to Ren.

"There's not really a lot we can do, Shiro. I should have watched where I was going, so it was my own fault, whether Nathan dumped the banana there or not."

"Not it's not! Aren't you a little bit angry at him? Why don't you let me do something?" Toshiro demanded, getting frustrated.

"Well, yeah, but it's not that easy." Ren placed a hand on Toshiro's shoulder. "You've gotta understand. Sometimes, it's better to do nothing than to do something."

"But…But he's…You were…I…" Toshiro stammered, not sure at how he was supposed to react to this. "Rrrr!" Toshiro just gave up, stood back up and walked briskly out of the cafeteria, his fists clenched. Ren got up to follow him, but Ichigo stopped her with an arm in her path.

"It's fine, Ren. He just needs to cool down for a while." Ichigo said.

"…" Ren stared back at the doors Toshiro left through, a worried look on her face. Toshiro's behaviour was unusual, to say the least, but she just dismissed it as Toshiro worrying about the situation with Nathan. But, after what he said to her earlier, she had more reasons to be concerned. After all, she knew full well how kindness can hurt. Then, there was that warning Nathan gave. What did he have planned? Something told her that it wasn't going to be pretty.

…

The next day, Friday, 11.35am

"Damn, I have earned this!" Ren sighed, collapsing in one of the blue chairs in the common room. She took out her 3DS and turned it on. "After a full morning of lessons, nothing says chillax like a game of Pokémon." Soon, she was madly pressing the buttons and muttering things under her breath. Toshiro looked at Ren from a distance, standing on the other side of the common room. He couldn't help but notice how some of the students out of the fifteen in here were looking at Ren, then whispering to themselves and to one another. What were they talking about? Toshiro narrowed his eyes at them, wondering what they were saying. But, he could hear a few words. Something along the lines of "hard to believe" and "brutal". What was that? Toshiro shrugged it off, thinking it was nothing, and went towards Ren. He had to ask Ren about how she behaved when he brought up her kindness.

"Oh, come on! My Oshawott's a lot stronger than that stinkin' Darumaka!" Ren almost exclaimed.

"Ren."

"Nya!" Ren snapped her 3DS shut, looking up at Toshiro with an unconvincing innocent look on her face. "I wasn't playing Pokémon!"

"Then what were you playing?" Toshiro asked, wondering why Ren would lie about it. Silence.

"Nothing." Ren said slowly. Another silence.

"You were playing Pokémon, weren't you?"

"Yes, I was."

"You're terrible at lying."

"I know." Ren hung her head. "So, what is it, Shiro? Did you want to ask me something?"

"Yes, I did." Toshiro said. "Yesterday, you were-"

"Ren!"

"Huh?" Ren looked up, and she saw Steph run into the common room, a piece of paper in her hand and a panicked look on her face. "Steph?"

"What is it?" Toshiro asked, hiding the fact that he was annoyed by the interruption.

"We've got a problem." Steph said urgently, shoving the paper into Toshiro's hands, which he looked at. It was a photocopy of a newspaper article. "It's an old article from the newspaper of the village communities Ren, Tom and I live in."

"So?" Ren said, opening up her 3DS.

"You don't know?" Steph gasped. Meanwhile, Toshiro was scanning the newspaper cutting with his eyes. There was a picture, but it was cut out, leaving only the headline and the article.

"Brutal beat down at the primary school." Toshiro read aloud. Hearing this, Ren's thumb hovered over her 3DS buttons. "Villagers both local and neighbouring were shocked beyond belief after the news that eleven year old Katelyn Doss was violently attacked by fellow classmate…Ren Conner?!" Toshiro's eyes widened. "Ren, it's about you!"

"What?!" Ren immediately turned her 3DS off. "Gimme that!" Ren took the paper out of Toshiro's hands, and begun reading it herself. "No, no, no! I can't believe this was in the paper!"

"You didn't know?" Steph asked, still in shock.

"I don't read the paper, be it county or local." Ren said dismissively, reading the article with a face that was a mixture of shocked and angry. An expression that Toshiro had never seen her wear before. That, and the fact that Ren was capable of violence, gave Toshiro an entirely new perspective of Ren.

"I found this on the bulletin board of the sixth formers." Steph explained to Toshiro. "I took it down and came here as fast as I could." At that precise moment, Tom burst into the room, carrying tonnes of sheets of paper in his arms, and he was clinging onto so many, some kept falling to the ground.

"You won't believe what I found!" He said, wide eyed.

"We know." Steph said, calmly but sadly. Tom went over to them, and dropped the papers on the ground, where some of them floated to the ground like autumn leaves. Toshiro saw that they were all the same article concerning Ren.

"I grabbed as many as I could find, but it looks as though they've been up for a while. I'd say almost half the school already know."

"Damn." Toshiro cursed. So that was what the group of sixth formers earlier were talking about.

"This is awful." Steph said quietly.

"I know!" Ren agreed. "Can you believe how biased it is?! It was not unprovoked! And Katelyn's mum wrote this! That was obviously the wrong person for the job! See, this is why I never read the paper! Gimme the TV any day!"

"I think the problem here is less about how biased the article is and more about the school knowing." Toshiro said, sweat dropping a little. Even now, Ren was not seeing the bigger picture. This was seriously not the time for Ren to be dense!

"But, this was in the past. Why would it be in the school now?" Tom wondered, picking up one of the articles on the floor.

"The past?" Toshiro repeated.

"_Just remember; everyone has ghosts in their closet. Including her."_

"_Consider this a warm up."_

"Nathan…" Toshiro said, narrowing his eyes angrily. Suddenly, he couldn't wait to see Nathan again.

"Hm?" Ren looked up from the article, hearing the anger in Toshiro's voice. "Shiro, do not go after Nathan."

"How can I not?" Toshiro exclaimed. "Are you even aware of what he's done to you? He obviously put this article up about you so that a rumour would start and pretty much humiliate you! Insulting you and making you fall I could handle, but this time, he's gone too far!"

"I am aware, but I'm not going to do anything. It's just what he wants. Besides, I'll explain myself to anyone who asks about it. The articles have been taken down, so nobody else is going to find out, and if they're going to talk about me behind my back, then let them. I'm going to explain it if they ask, so it's fine. I am not going to retaliate against Nathan, and neither should you."

"That's not the point! Nathan is going out of his way to make you and everybody else miserable, and yet here you are playing on a damn console like nothing has happened!"

"Shiro, I'm just as upset as you are-" Ren said, standing up out of her chair.

"I'm more than just upset! And you should be, too!" Toshiro was so angry right now, he could feel his face getting hot. But, Ren still kept calm. He didn't get it! Ren opened her mouth to speak. "Don't give me that "It's better to do nothing than something" crap!" Toshiro yelled, knowing just what she was about to say. Ren closed her mouth, confirming Toshiro's prediction.

"Toshiro, I know you're angry, but this is what Ren wants, so we need to respect that." Tom said calmly.

"Including you." Steph agreed.

"Yeah, I know. She wants to fight this battle on her own, right? Is that it?" Toshiro asked, his voice quieter, but still with the angry tone to it.

"Yeah. I'm glad you understand, Shiro. Now, I probably need to go over to the disabled department and explain to the kids there about the article. They're still too young to understand this sort of thing." Ren said briskly, obviously not noticing how Toshiro was still angry, and he was getting even angrier at what she was saying. Even now, she was more concerned for others than herself.

"Why?"

"Huh?" Ren looked back at Toshiro.

"Why?" Toshiro said again. "Just once…"

"What are you talking about?" Ren asked, confused.

"Why can't you think of yourself instead of others?!" Toshiro shouted. With that, he turned on his heel and marched towards the exit.

"Shiro, wait!" Ren protested, about to go after him, but the sound of the door slamming made her flinch, and she got the message. "I think I made him mad." Ren looked over her shoulder at her friends. "Did I make him mad?"

"Sorry I'm late." Ichigo said briskly, walking through the door Toshiro just left through. "Did I miss anything?" Ichigo was surprised to see that the response was annoyed glares from Ren, Steph and Tom, and the many papers littered on the floor, as well as the lack of a certain white haired captain. "What?" Suddenly a hard back book about physics was thrown at his head "OW!"

"Told ya." Ren said with a shrug. She turned around and walked away, screwing up the paper she was holding into a ball and throwing it in a bin she walked past. "I think I'll make you a year thirteen after all. Besides, I gotta see Mr Watson about the article, anyway. But first, the department."

…

"So it was a misunderstanding? I see. Very well. Mr Kurosaki will now be in the thirteenth year. He will be in your form next Monday." Mr Watson stacked some papers on his desk, while Ren secretly smiled and mentally high fived herself. She was certainly getting better at this magic trick of hers. Plus, the fact that the kids in the disabled department and the other year sevens knew her, they didn't take the article too seriously. Guess she was just worried about nothing. That, and sorting out Ichigo's place here, had brightened Ren's mood somewhat.

"Thank you for understanding, sir." Ren said politely.

"While you're here, Miss Conner, I found this on my door." Mr Watson slid a sheet of paper towards Ren. She glanced at it. It was the article from before. There goes her good mood.

"Well, about that…" Ren started.

"You don't have to explain." Mr Watson said. "I am aware of the incident that happened during your final year of primary education. I do live in that same village, after all."

"Oh." Ren looked away. "I guess I forgot."

"So, what are you going to do now?" Mr Watson asked.

"Nothing. If people ask me about it, then I'll tell them what they want to know. It happened in the past, so it is nothing to do with the person I am now. They can say what they want about me. That was then, and this is now. Besides, we're all old enough to handle this kind of thing, and I know that the students in my year will be mature enough to not see me any differently. I mean, the disabled students and the year seven's handled it well, so why not the rest of the school?"

"That is a very mature thing to say, Miss Conner. But, it's also rather…concerning."

"Sir?" Ren said, puzzled. Mr Watson stood up and begun to walk around his desk to Ren.

"I have known your family for years, and likewise, I know exactly the kind of person you are. People like you are one in a million, and I'm sure your friends would say so too. But, you always think about what others want and how to make them happy. And even regarding the case of the article, you still think about other people." Mr Watson was now in front of Ren, but the sternness in his face was gone. Instead, it was a lot softer, which Ren found weirder than when Toshiro looked like that. "Ren, you need to think about what you want and your happiness."

"…" Ren looked down at the ground. Again, she was told to think about herself.

"_Your kindness is great, I admit that, but…it makes me worry that kindness will only get you hurt."_

"_Why can't you think if yourself instead of others?!"_

"Yeah…" Ren agreed quietly. "But, it's just not my nature. Everybody's happiness is my happiness. I couldn't possibly think about myself, sir. Not even for an instant."

"That is up to you. You're eighteen now. You're old enough to decide. You're a caring girl, but sometimes, you need to set aside some of that care and think about yourself. Remember that."

"Yes, sir." Ren said a little reluctantly.

"Now, be on your way. Break time finishes in half an hour."

"Thank you, sir." Ren gave a small bow out of habit, turned around and left the office, closing the door quietly behind her. With a sigh she wandered back to the common room. Would Toshiro be back there again? It's been about ten minutes since he stormed off, so maybe he's cooled down and come back to the common acting like he usually does like he did yesterday. Somehow, Ren doubted that. After all, she had never seen Toshiro so angry before, and she wasn't sure if it was at her or at Nathan. Or maybe both?

"Uuuu!" Ren groaned, scratching her head. "Emotions are so confusing!" She cringed to herself after realising she said her thoughts out loud. Luckily, nobody was around to hear her for now, so she was safe. It was only when she turned the corner that she saw at least thirty, or maybe more, students dotting the corridor in different groups. Some avoided eye contact with her, and others dared to glance at Ren, and then sharply look away. Ren calmly walked down the corridor, over hearing every single whisper.

"Is that her?"

"Yeah. That's Ren Conner."

"She's the one who attacked a student, right?"

"Maybe she's a delinquent."

"Don't look at her! She'll probably attack you!"

"She wasn't even provoked."

"She's dangerous."

"If she did that at primary school, what did she do while she was here?"

"Who knows?"

"I heard she goes out and picks fights. She even left school last Friday."

"I bet she was playing hooky."

"…" Ren said nothing as she walked, ignoring the whispers as best she could. After all, she was used to people talking about her behind her back, so this was no different. Besides, if she dealt with it properly, then this whole situation will be…what was the saying? Swept under the rug! Yes! Everything will be forgotten, and things will go back to normal without Ren needing to interfere with Nathan and cause more trouble for herself and her friends. Why couldn't Toshiro understand that? She saw the door leading to the common room, and gripped the handle and walked through to the room again, where she was met with more whispers.

"Just one week, just one week." Ren muttered under her breath, scanning the room for her friends. She spotted them. Steph was trying to speak some reason into three girls in her year, while Tom ran in with more papers, and then proceeded to rip them up, screw them into balls, scribble over the writing with black marker, anything to make them unreadable. Ren smiled to herself. She was lucky to have friends like them.

"No, Ren does not go out to pick fights. Where did you hear that?" Steph asked, trying to brush off the rumours that were going around quickly. She'd wager a bet that it was some of Nathan's friends spreading the rumours. But then again, there were several cliques in the school who loved to gossip, so it could be anybody. Then again, this rumour she heard was half true, considering the fact that Ren and Toshiro go out to battle monsters.

"From a friend." One of the girls said. "And why are you defending her? Unless…unless she really does go out and get into trouble!"

"No, nothing like that!" Steph protested.

"Damn, these things are everywhere." Tom grumbled, throwing some shreds and balls of the article in the bin just inches behind him without turning around. "Someone must be putting up more as they get torn down."

"Well, guess I'd better deal with this." Ren decided, walking over to Steph.

"So, are you saying this isn't true?" The teenage girls asked Steph, waving another article in her face.

"Yes, I mean no, I mean Ren doesn't do that anymore." Steph said quickly.

"It's alright, Steph." Ren said, moving in front of her. "What you are reading is true. I did attack a student when I was eleven."

"Aha!" The second girl exclaimed. "I knew it!"

"But, shouldn't you be more focused on the now rather than the then?" Ren asked simply. "Back then, I attacked Katelyn because she had been bullying me for years. I had put up with it, and on that day, I just snapped. She never bothered me again after that, but that doesn't change the fact that it happened. However, I am different from how I was back then. That was almost seven years ago, so you should look at the me now rather than the me I was."

"…" The three girls looked at one another, suddenly feeling guilty.

"Okay."

"We're sorry about the misunderstanding."

"We'll tell our friends the truth and make sure they all know."

"Thanks for understanding!" Ren said cheerfully, her smile on her face. The three girls stood up and went on her way. "See? If I just keep doing that, then this will be swept under the rug in no time!" Ren secretly felt proud of herself after saying that expression.

"Yeah." Steph nodded.

"There's nothing I can do about the articles." Tom said after getting rid of the last article, a frustrated tone to his voice. "Whenever I take one down, another takes its place within five minutes!"

"It's fine, Tom." Ren reassured. "Thank you for your efforts, though. Anyway, have you seen Shiro anywhere?"

"No." Steph and Tom shook their heads. After they said this, Toshiro walked into the room, out of their sight, as there were so many students here, they completely hid him from sight.

"Hey, it's Toshiro!"

"Toshiro, what's it like living with a delinquent?"

"Don't say that. He's probably one too."

"Eh?"

"Well, just look at him. He bleaches his hair."

"…" At that, a vein throbbed on Toshiro's head. "I do not-" Toshiro yelled, but stopped himself, realising that yelling wasn't going to solve anything. "I mean, I don't bleach my hair, and Ren is not a delinquent. Besides, don't you have better things to do than spread rumours and make rash assumptions about people you don't know?"

"…" The students looked at each other, cringing. Toshiro just closed his eyes for a moment, and walked deeper into the common room. Honestly. Humans were so strange.

"My, my, would you listen to this rumour mill!"

"Damn…" Toshiro muttered under his breath, recognising the voice. Nathan had suddenly appeared in the room, and all talking had stopped. Nathan looked around the room. He saw people, year twelve and thirteen, that he didn't know, and many of them were people he recognised, be they classmates, his friends, or even his past victims. Speaking of which, he finally found Ren, who had an expressionless look on her face. Nathan smirked and walked over to her, his hands in his pockets. "So, how do you like my little surprise?"

"You mean the article?" Ren asked. "Not gonna lie, Nathan, you really pulled a dick move."

"That's all you have to say? I was trying to teach you a lesson, but clearly it has not sunk in." Nathan leaned down to Ren's eye level, but she still did not react. "You can't bury the past, no matter how much you try." Nathan straightened up again, looking around the room at the sixth form observers, obviously not noticing Toshiro move to the front so that he could see Nathan. Likewise, Ren, Steph and Tom did not see him, either. They also didn't see Ichigo walk in from another door, and upon sensing the tense atmosphere, slipped into the crowd and stood next to Toshiro, who was so fixed on the scene that he didn't even notice Ichigo's presence.

"Let this be a lesson to all of you!" Nathan said loudly so that everyone could hear him. "This girl before you is a complete and utter fake! The Ren you know is kind, brave, truthful and cheerful! Let me tell you now, my friends, that this Ren is a lie. I know her true self! That of a wimpy, violent, angry waste of space! I have seen it for myself, and now…" Nathan produced another article from his pocket, and displayed it for all to see. "So have you. This is who Ren really is. She has kept this side hidden from you, deceiving you all into believing that this happy go lucky weirdo is her true self. But, now you know. She is not as honest as you think. After all, she hid this from you. Can somebody honest really hide something from her friends?"

"Nathan, what you're saying is a lie!" Tom snapped. "I've known Ren much longer than you have, and I know that she wasn't how you said she was, whether she attacked someone or not!"

"Oh, so you know Ren, do you?" Nathan asked, still wearing his trademark smirk. "Funny, that. You were one of the many people who stood there and watched Kate do what she did best to Ren, and you didn't really become friends with Ren until you came to this dump of a school together, did you? So, what gives you the right to say what she is?"

"I…" Tom started, looking away.

"Hey, back off!" Steph stepped in front of Tom, a fierce look in her eyes. "He may not have been Ren's friend back then, but he definitely knows her a lot better than you do, and so do I."

"Stephanie, Stephanie, Stephanie." Nathan said, closing his eyes and shaking his head with each word. He opened his eyes and looked straight at Steph. "You're not exactly one to talk. I mean, you met Ren three years ago. You know even less about her than Tommy here. I, however, have been with her for many years. I have seen her true colours, and yet you two, her "friends", have not."

"…" Tom and Steph hung their heads, knowing that he was right, even if they hated to admit it.

"Leave them out of it." Ren said firmly.

"Still defending your friends?" Nathan asked. "Didn't you do exactly that for your former friends all those years ago?" Nathan narrowed his eyes at Ren, still smirking. "Right before they left you all alone again."

"!" Ren's eyes widened at those words. Toshiro saw this, and immediately remembered when Nathan said something similar to this, and how he saw tears in Ren's eyes almost immediately afterwards.

_At this rate…_ Toshiro thought, remembering his final vision. Ren on her knees and crying. He wanted to step in. He wanted to tell Nathan exactly what he thought, but Ren's words to stay out of it kept going through his head. And yet, the desire to prevent Ren from crying drove him forward at the same time.

"Face it, Ren. Nobody is going to understand you." Nathan ran his hand down Ren's face, and she made no attempt of batting it away. "Not like me."

"…" Seeing Nathan touch Ren revolted Toshiro, and yet Ren didn't look the slightest bit disgusted. In fact, she didn't even look angry. She didn't look anything! Why won't she do something? Why isn't she saying anything?

"This is who you are." Nathan said, quiet enough for it to sound sinister, yet loud enough for everyone to hear. "You will always be alone. Nobody will understand you. Nobody will help you. And now, nobody will even come near you, for they know your true self." Nathan moved away from Ren again. "And for that, you have me to thank!" He proclaimed. With that, he threw back his head and laughed. Again, Ren did and said nothing. She just continued to stare at him with a blank, neutral expression.

"That bastard…" Ichigo growled, clenching his fists. Toshiro, meanwhile, was even angrier than Ichigo. Angry at Nathan for mocking Ren. Angry at the students for not helping.

Angry at Ren for not doing anything.

"_I know you were trying to help, but you shouldn't make a fist in something that isn't your fight."_

As Nathan continued laughing, Toshiro clenched his fists so hard he could feel the nails digging into his palms.

"_Sometimes, it's better to do nothing than to do something."_

Unable to look at Ren saying nothing, Toshiro screwed his eyes shut, clenching his teeth. He could feel the rage boiling up inside him, ready to explode. And all the while, Nathan's laughter continued to ring through his ears and echo in his head.

"_You help me, and I'll help you."_

Suddenly, something inside of Toshiro snapped, and his eyes shot open, brimming with rage. Screw the request! He had a promise to keep, and he was not going to take no for an answer!

"_That was the deal, right?"_

"DON'T YOU MOCK HER!"

"Huh?" Nathan stopped laughing, looking at where the voice came from. Ren, Tom and Steph also looked to the source of the shout, and they finally saw Toshiro, and he did not look happy. In fact, he looked downright furious.

"Toshiro, what are you doing?" Ichigo almost hissed, a very worried look on his face.

"What I should have done from the start." Toshiro answered, his voice dripping with anger.

"Oh?" Nathan said with a smile, overhearing Toshiro's response to Ichigo. "You got something to say? Go ahead, we're all ears."

"?" Confused, Ren felt around on her head for more ears, and feeling none, shrugged.

"You're damn right I have something to say!" Toshiro yelled, marching over to where Nathan stood with his fists clenched. "Let me make something perfectly clear to you! Just because you happened to be in the same school as Ren doesn't mean you have the right to tell her what or who she is!" By now, Toshiro was directly in front of Nathan, and he was so angry, he just said whatever words came to his mind, not caring if they sounded ridiculous or not. "Right now, I don't care about why you do what you do! What I do care about, however, is who you do it to! You can torment defenceless kids that are younger and less able than you if you want, but you will not, I repeat, you will NOT! INSULT! MY! FRIEND!" After this, Toshiro reached up and grabbed Nathan's necktie, pulling him down to eye level. "Do you understand?" Toshiro growled at Nathan, who had lost the smile on his face.

"Are you talking down at me?" Nathan asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes. Not nice, is it? Savour this moment, you bastard. Because this is what all the other victims you know so well feel whenever you're near. How do you like it? Do you like being a victim?" Without any warning, Toshiro punched Nathan as hard as he could in the face. The entire room responded with gasps and open mouths. Nathan landed on the ground, and sat up, using his hand to try and hide the fact that his nose was now bleeding.

"Holy crap!" Ren exclaimed loudly. Tom closed Steph's hanging mouth while ignoring his own.

"Geez…" Ichigo sighed, closing his eyes. Toshiro can never control his temper. Right now, he felt sorry for Nathan.

"You've been warned. If you come anywhere near Ren…" Toshiro brought a fist up, his eyes narrow. "I'll kill you." Toshiro then turned to the crowd. "You see?! This is what you should have done long ago! You should be ashamed of yourselves, watching as innocent people get tormented! You're cowards, the lot of you! And some of you don't even say a word when you're on the receiving end! In that case, you're just as cowardly as the rest of them!" Toshiro said this while shifting a glance at Ren, who didn't even notice, and was still bewildered as what she was seeing in Toshiro. "At least I'm willing to take a stand against this injustice, unlike some people I know! Aren't you sick of watching?! Don't you just want to do something?! If so, then don't leave it to someone else! Take action! Because if you don't then nobody will!" After saying this, Toshiro went quiet, taking a moment to catch his breath. Meanwhile, the students were looking at one another, muttering, or even hanging their heads in shame.

"Shiro…" Ren started, trying to figure out what exactly to say. Should she say thank you? Should she reprimand him for stepping in?

"Ren. A word." Toshiro said in a strangely calm tone.

"Huh?" Ren blinked, puzzled. "But it's-"

"Now!" Toshiro yelled.

"Okay." Ren said quickly, deciding not to argue with Toshiro about it, especially after he had raised his voice like that. Toshiro walked off to his left, and Ren nervously trotted behind him, and they left the common room and entered the corridor, leaving silence in the room. Everyone soon chattered to one another about what had just happened, while Ichigo went to Steph and Tom. They didn't say anything, but they didn't need to. They understood full well what was going on. And, all the while, nobody even bothered trying to help Nathan to his feet. He narrowed his eyes angrily He was going to make them pay for humiliating him like that!

…

"Shiro, what's this about?" Ren asked, entering an empty classroom and closing the door behind her. Toshiro was already inside, his back turned. He gave no response. "Answer me."

"I don't understand you, Ren."

"Yeah. Sometimes, even I don't understand me!" Ren said with a little laugh.

"That's not what I mean!" Toshiro said quickly, trying not to yell again. "Nathan was humiliating you and telling lies, and yet you said nothing. Why do you stay silent? Why won't you let anyone help? Better yet, why won't you ask for help?"

"I…" Ren said, hesitating for a moment. She looked away, fiddling with a tassel on her black prefect gown. "I have my reasons."

"What reasons?!" Toshiro demanded, spinning around to face Ren. "Give me one legitimate reason why you won't accept help!"

"I just…Because….Just because. Look, it's complicated. If I went into-"

"That's all you ever say! Every time I ask you something, all I hear is "It's complicated" this and "It's complicated" that! I'm sick of it! Just this once, give me a straight answer! Why won't you accept my help?!"

"Well, um…I…I…" Ren trailed off, and she remained silent, refusing to look at Toshiro in his face. "The thing is…You wouldn't understand. Nobody has ever understood, so you won't be any different."

"I don't understand now! Just tell me!"

"No!" Ren yelled, stunning Toshiro a little, and even Ren herself was a little surprised that she raised her voice. "No." Ren said again, but in a much quieter voice. "I will tell you. I will tell you everything you want to know. But, not yet."

"…" Toshiro narrowed his eyes a little. It was like Steph told him all those weeks ago about Ren testing him.

"And besides, I am grateful for you interfering, but I never asked for your help. You acted in a totally inappropriate manner and ignored a request I gave you several times before. No matter the situation, if I say no, then I mean no. You just have to accept that."

"I won't!" Toshiro shook his head. "You promised to protect me, and I promised to protect you, remember?!"

"Of course."

"So let me help!" Toshiro demanded again, but this time in a more pleading tone. But, Ren refused, shaking her head with closed eyes.

"I'm sorry Shiro, but I just can't do that."

"You mean you won't! Stop being so stubborn! No wonder Nathan keeps tormenting you if you just stand there and take it! You have to say something and take action if you want the pain to stop! Sitting there and letting him have his way and do what he wants is what put you in the situation you're in now! If you'd said something, then I wouldn't have had to do anything! You're a fool, Ren! You're a fool if you think doing nothing will solve anything!"

"I don't to have to listen to this." Ren turned around, but before she could begin to walk away, Toshiro grabbed her wrist, preventing her from leaving

"I'm not done with you yet! Just listen to me! It's amazing how Nathan gets away with all this! He brings up painful memories in your past; you sit there and let him! He makes you trip; you sit there and let him! He puts up a demeaning article about you, and you just sit right there and let him! Every single time I offered to help, and you just brush me off!"

"Like I said, I have my reasons." Ren said, forcing Toshiro's grip off her arm, yet she made no other attempt to move. But, she could feel herself getting angry almost every time Toshiro spoke. Almost as angry as he was right now.

"And what would they be?! Oh, wait! "It's complicated", right?! That doesn't change the fact that it happened and is happening! Don't you get just a little bit angry?! Don't you want to wipe the smirk of his face?! Make him suffer! He's the one who deserves it! You need to stop being so soft and make someone who deserves it pay for what they've done to you!"

"…" Ren said nothing, although she clenched her fist.

"Even now, you're not saying anything! I don't understand! Why do you stay silent when someone is hurling abuse at you?! Only an idiot thinks that doing nothing will solve their problems!"

_SWAK!_

After that last sentence, Ren had spun around and slapped Toshiro on his face so hard, the sound echoed in the empty classroom for several seconds. Her eyes were hidden by her hair, and Toshiro was still looking to his right from the blow, stunned. His left cheek felt as though it was on fire. Nobody had ever hit him like that before. Not even Hinamori laid a hand on him like that, or his grandmother. He slowly looked back at Ren, who still had her hand raised from the slap.

"Ren…" Toshiro almost whispered, moving a hand to the giant red mark on his face.

"You're the one who's being an idiot." Ren said. She looked directly at Toshiro, her eyes both sad and angry. "Do you think I like being called those horrible things? Do you think I like listening to people talk about me when they think I'm not looking? Do you honestly believe I do that deliberately? If so, then you're clearly not as smart as I thought you were." Ren finally lowered her hand, looking away again. "You're right. Doing nothing doesn't solve anything. But, doing something doesn't solve anything, either. Not for me. I tried that. I honestly did. It tried telling someone about how Katelyn treated me, but nothing was done about it. No matter how much I begged, no matter how much I screamed, my cries kept falling on deaf ears. That's why I attacked her. I tried taking matters into my own hands, and it worked for a while, but that incident and that reputation followed me here. Then, Nathan appeared. I tried doing something again, but he always had a way to cover his tracks. So, I stopped trying. Nobody will come to help me. Nobody will be able to help me. I'd accepted that. No matter what he did, I said and did nothing, even if it hurt. After all, what's the point? You don't know what it's like, Shiro. People like you…You only face this ridicule for most of your life. But for people like me, I'm going to be treated like this for the rest of my life!"

"!" Toshiro's eyes widened after hearing that? People like her? What did she mean? Could it relate to what Steph told him? He said nothing, and carried on listening, hoping that it would answer some questions in his mind.

"You're right about one thing, though. Kindness can hurt." Ren felt her legs grow weak, and she dropped onto her knees on the floor, keeping her head lowered. "When you interfered during that first day Nathan came back, I was shocked that someone would step in to help me. But, no amount of help is going to get rid of the pain I will have to endure in the future. And that hurts. I feel happy every time I help somebody I care about, yet when they help me, it hurts. It's so painful that I feel like my heart is going to be ripped out. I can't help myself, and I can't do and say nothing. No matter what I do, it still remains the same, and I'm still in so much pain. And when somebody tries to help me…"

"?" Toshiro noticed that something wet fell onto the floor in front of Ren. Following that was another drop. And another. Toshiro knew right away that this wasn't water, but he didn't want to believe it.

"That has got to be the most painful kindness!" Ren cried out. The drops fell from Ren's face, which remained hidden by shadows, and onto the floor. Ren brought her fists up, rubbing her face with them. "Every time somebody like Nathan treats me like that, it hurts. Every time I try to stop it, it hurts. Every time I do nothing, it hurts. No matter what I do, it hurts! That's why I never ask for help! It only causes me more pain than I can bear!" Ren lifted her head up, and Toshiro finally saw her face, although he immediately wished that he hadn't. "Please believe me, Shiro!" Ren cried, streams of tears falling from her closed eyes. "I don't want to hurt anymore!" Ren rubbed at her eyes with her fists, and there was a silence in the room, except for Ren's occasional sniffs and hiccup's. At that moment, two things shocked Toshiro. One; Ren was indeed capable of crying. Two, the Ren before him was exactly the same as the Ren in his vision. All this time, he was wrong.

_It wasn't Nathan…_ Toshiro thought, lowering his hand from his face. _It was me. I'm the one who made Ren cry._

"…" With a sniff, Ren wiped away the tears with one hand. But, to her surprise, she felt another hand gently wipe the tears from her other eye. She opened her eyes and blinked a couple times. She looked up, and saw that Toshiro was now kneeling on the ground in front of her, a genuinely sad expression on his face. To him, seeing Ren like this almost made him want to cry, too.

"I'm sorry, Ren." Toshiro apologised, a rare action for him. "I thought I was helping, but I see now that I just made things worse."

"Nn." Ren shook her head as a way of saying "It's not your fault." silently.

"But you have to understand. I did what I did because I care about you. I don't want anybody to hurt you, whether they're White Raven or Nathan."

"Shiro…" Ren started, stunned. "Did you say that…you cared about me?"

"…" Toshiro hesitated, stunned that Ren would ask him something like that. "Yes. What made you think I didn't?"

"Well…you're always a little harsh and cold, and there's the fact that you didn't call me by my name for a while."

"Of course…" Toshiro muttered, sweat dropping a little. He liked Ren's honesty, but sometimes, she was so honest, she was blunt.

"I don't mean it in a bad way!" Ren said quickly, bringing her hands up and waving them left and right frantically. "I mean…thanks." Ren's moist eyes shifted in different directions nervously. "Thank you for caring, Shiro."

"Anytime, Ren. You help me and I help you." Toshiro took Ren' hand, and linked her little finger with his. "That was the deal, right?"

"Ah, I see what you did there!" Ren said with a grin. "Um…are you going to retaliate?"

"What?" Toshiro blinked.

"Ya know…I slapped you?" Ren reminded Toshiro, fiddling with her hands.

"What? No, I had it coming."

"Phew!" With an exaggerated sigh Ren leaned her head against a nearby table, relieved.

"Oi, oi, why do you look so relieved?" Toshiro muttered. "Do you take me for some kind of monster?"

"No, but…you are kinda short tempered."

"So…are you okay now?" Toshiro asked, shrugging off Ren's blunt comments.

"Yeah…" Ren rubbed at her eyes until they were free of tears. "Yeah, I think I'll be okay now."

"Good." Toshiro said with a smile. Without warning, Ren punched him on his left shoulder. "Ow! Why did you do that?"

"Don't you dare tell anybody you saw me like this!" Ren all but ordered, pointing directly at Toshiro.

"Don't worry, my lips are sealed." Toshiro reassured, rubbing the spot Ren punched him.

"Also…" Ren looked away shyly, a slight blush on her face.

"Ren?" Toshiro leaned closer towards Ren, a little surprised at her girlish blush.

"In the common room just now, you called me your friend." Ren glanced at Toshiro. "Did you really mean it, or was it just a spur of the moment thing?"

"…" Toshiro was silent, remembering what exactly he said back in the common room. She was right. He did refer to Ren as his friend. After all, she had considered him her friend all this time, as he recalled.

"_Because you're my friend!"_

"_If I abandon a friend in need, then I have no right to call myself their friend."_

"_But, Shiro is my friend. And I will always protect anyone I care about."_

_"I don't "call" him my friend, he is my friend!"_

"_I'm not saying this because we're going to be comrades in battle, but because we're friends."_

"Shiro?" Ren said after Toshiro went silent for a few seconds. That probably meant it was a spur of a moment.

"Yes."

"Eh?" Ren blinked.

"Yes." Toshiro said again. "I may have seen you as just a human before, but this past month has made me realise that…you're my friend." It felt strange for Toshiro to say the word "friend" out loud, and yet it felt good at the same time.

"Yay!" Ren cheered, and without warning, she wrapped her arms around Toshiro's neck in a hug, and Toshiro was too stunned to do anything in response. Wasn't this girl mad at him just a few moments ago? "I'm so happy!"

"You're always happy." Toshiro said, half-laughing.

"Yeah, but this time I'm really happy!" Toshiro secretly smiled to himself at the feeling of déjà vu he just felt. Sometimes, Ren was unpredictable, but other times, she was so predictable it either made him want to shout or smile.

"Ren…" Toshiro placed his hands on Ren's shoulders and pulled her away so that he was looking straight at her face before smiling warmly. "You are so random."

"Hee hee!" Ren grinned. "Gotta admit, that punch of yours was pretty awesome, even if it was out of hand. I can't believe you gave him a nosebleed!"

"Yeah…" Toshiro glanced away, his smile from happy to nervous. "I guess I'm gonna be added to his list."

"Not if I have something to say about it!" Ren said with confidence, pointing at herself with a smile.

"And what would that be?"

"Wuh oh." Ren muttered. She looked over her shoulder, and there she saw Nathan, leaning on the doorframe with a red nose and a very annoyed look on his face. It took everything in Ren not to burst out laughing. He looked like Rudolph.

"Rudolph the red nosed reindeer." Ren sang under her breath, hoping that Nathan couldn't hear her. She just had to get it out of her system! "Wait, that's not right…" Ren thought for a moment. "Ah!" Ren tapped her fist on her palm. "Nathan the red nosed bastard…has a very bloody nose!" Ren sang cheerfully with little regard to Nathan being right in front of her. Toshiro, however, was laughing behind his hand, and Nathan just rolled his eyes.

"Why are you on the floor?" Nathan asked suspiciously. "And why is his face red?"

"Uh…" Ren started.

"I fell over." Toshiro lied, standing back onto his feet. "I hit something on the way down, so that's why my face is red." While he spoke, he helped Ren back onto her feet with one hand, and pointed at the spot where Ren hit him with the other. It wasn't as red as it was before, but it was still obvious. Nathan raised an eyebrow, and for one moment, Toshiro thought he didn't believe him.

"Whatever." He said, disinterested.

"Thanks." Ren whispered.

"You owe me one." Toshiro whispered back.

"Oh, siiiiir!" Nathan called into the corridor in a sing-song voice. "I've found them!"

"Yah beh!" Ren flinched.

"Miss Conner…" Mr Watson started, walking into the room. "And Mr Hitsugaya. Mr Harris came into my office with an accusation that you, Mr Hitsugaya, attacked him. Is this true? If so, then the punishment shall be severe."

"Well, um…" Toshiro hesitated, looking away.

"Shouldn't you ask Ren, sir?" Nathan asked, a subtle smirk on his face. "After all, she was there when it happened." Nathan narrowed his eyes a little. "She'd never lie."

_He's got me._ Toshiro thought, glaring at Nathan angrily, but he merely smirked at him.

"Well, Miss Conner?" Mr Watson said, folding his arms. Ren paused for a moment. Toshiro looked away, knowing that it was over.

"Nathan is a liar, sir."

"Eh?" Toshiro looked straight at Ren.

"Eh?" Nathan said, a dumbfounded look on his face.

"Is that so?" Mr Watson said slowly, looking over at Nathan.

"N-No! I'm telling the truth! He punched me! Look! Look at my face! It's still red from where he hit me!"

"How do you know you didn't just slip?" Ren asked, a smile on her face and a devious look in her eyes. "For all we know, you're blaming an innocent student for something that was an accident." Ren narrowed her eyes, a smile still on her face. "Isn't that what you said yesterday when you made me slip?"

"Is this true?" Mr Watson asked Nathan.

"Yup." Ren answered before Nathan had a chance to. "He did it to all the other students, too. Particularly the year sevens and the ones from the disabilities department. He also stole their dessert, targeted the ones that had no money left on their cards for his "slip-ups" and made his prefect friends force people to go to the back of the line. Then, there's all those, ahem, incidents that happened this week. It's all him."

"She's lying!" Nathan protested.

"But, I never lie." Ren said, an innocent look on her face. "Shiro, do I lie?" Ren asked, looking at Toshiro.

"N-No." Toshiro shook his head, still stunned at the new side of Ren he was witnessing. She was one surprise after the other. "You couldn't lie even if you tried."

"You see?"

"…" Nathan's mouth kept opening and closing, trying to think of something to say, but nothing came out.

"Mr Harris, I am surprised at you. I half expected you to return to your old ways, but accusing somebody of acts of violence is unheard of. Come straight to my office. We're going to have some words."

"Oh, and one more thing, sir."

"Yes, Miss Conner?"

"He's the one who put that article up about me."

"Mr Harris, come with me." Mr Watson said in a very angry voice. He walked out of the room, and Nathan shot Ren a glare. She remained unfazed, and merely waved at him wearing her cheerful smile. Nathan left, and was out of sight.

"Ren…" Toshiro said, speechless.

"What? You said I owed you one. Besides, Nathan spent his entire life relying on others to get him out of trouble." Ren looked over at Toshiro, smirking. "Maybe this outta teach him a lesson."

"I didn't know you had a devious side." A pause. "I like it." He smiled at Ren.

"Eh?" Ren blinked a couple of times. "Is that a good thing?"

"I don't know. And, frankly, I don't care. You finally did what was right. After that, I'm sure Nathan won't bother you again."

"He'd better not. That's the last time I'm doing something like that!"

"Ren…"

"Yeah?" Ren looked back at Toshiro.

"I meant every word that I said in this room."

"You did?" Ren said quietly, smiling. Toshiro smiled back and nodded. "Yay! Oh, but speaking of room, we'd better go back to the common room. We've been gone for…" Ren looked at her phone. "Whoa, that long!? Damn, I'm glad we have a double free. Nathan made me miss out on a big Pokémon battle!"

"There are more important things in life than Pokémon, Ren." Toshiro said as they started to walk out of the room, putting one hand in his pocket.

"Yeah, but it's a start."

"I challenge you to name me one thing useful relating to Pokémon."

"Weeeeell, the creator of Pokémon, I think his name is Satoshi Tajiri, is worth five point one billion dollars."

"Really?!"

"Yeah."

"That still doesn't count."

"Yeah, well, you can say what you like. I grew up watching Pokémon. So much so that I can name every single Pokémon. In numerical order."

"Wow, that's impressive, even if it is completely useless!"

"Uuuu!"

Throughout this conversation, Ren and Toshiro had set aside all the negative emotions they were feeling just minutes before. In fact, they were so at peace, they had not noticed that, ever since Nathan found them, they had not stopped holding hands.

Now, their bond was stronger than ever.

**Whoa, that was long! I really need to stop getting carried away. Sorry if it was a tad bit boring for you guys. There's definitely gonna be some action soon! Promise, promise, promise!**


	17. A Game Of Tag

**Wow, is it more than a month already?! Sorry, guys, but this and that happened, and I barely had enough time to do this chapter! I had loads of assignments, in other words. But come on! You guys must have work to do, too! Speaking of work, I have been working on some drawings based on this story, and they will be put up on my deviantART account…just as soon as I find a decent scanner. So, you probably won't get to see them until after Christmas at the latest. Soz. But, hey, it's something to look forward too!**

**Chapter 15**

**A Game of Tag**

In the light of the moon, a hooded figure sat on a rock, inside the only illuminated spot of the woods. It was Epona, and her hood was pulled down, revealing her face. She was around Ren's age, and her green eyes showed no happiness, as though her face was permanently sad. Her long black hair hung out of her cloak, with two small pigtails on top of her head, and two red bows at the bottom of her waist length hair in low pigtails. She was staring at the ground intently, especially at her shadow. Her human shadow suddenly changed form and twisted into a spiral until it turned into a circle shape. Then, she saw an image. It was Ren. And she was playing on a games console with Ichigo, with Ichigo fiercely mashing the buttons, while Ren calmly stared at the screen, confident in her skills. Toshiro was sat on a sofa behind them, and he looked almost disinterested as he stared out of the window, yet he couldn't resist sneaking a couple of looks at the game Ichigo and Ren were playing.

"…" Epona said nothing, staring at Ren and only Ren.

"Hey."

Epona looked up. Etheline had entered the clearing, and she could not tell if Etheline was angry or upset. She never could. Not that it mattered. Etheline always seemed to be in a bad mood.

"I hear that your attack failed on her."

"Yes." She said calmly, looking back at the shadow. Silence.

"Well?"

"Well, what?"

"What are you going to do about it, Epona?" Etheline asked, her voice starting to sound impatient.

"I am observing her for now." She answered. "I refuse to believe such a person can have so much light. I'm trying to see if she truly does have some darkness inside of her."

"And does she?" A pause.

"No."

"You must be pretty miffed, then." Etheline said with a smirk. "After all, you have been doing this for years. I guess it's exciting to have such a challenge."

"Maybe…" Epona said thoughtfully. At this point, Ichigo had thrown his arms up in the air before hanging his head, defeated, while Ren gave him a V sign with her hand, before smiling her usual smile. Epona watched as Ren looked over her shoulder at Toshiro. Ren spoke. Toshiro spoke. Ren spoke again. Toshiro rolled his eyes with a subtle smile, took the controller from Ichigo's hands and sat down on the floor next to Ren, ready to play. All through this, Epona did not hear a word they were saying. After all, the shadows only see. They do not hear.

"However, it might be difficult."

"Oh?" Etheline raised an eyebrow.

"That boy…He saw my face. He knows what I look like. And…he is getting closer to that girl. He might be the first one to notice."

"Care to explain?" Etheline asked, still a little confused.

"I mean that her light is so strong, I cannot unleash her darkness in one move like I have done for my whole life. I will have to do it gradually. Furthermore, if I am to act, I must act with discretion. It is because of the slow process that I fear he will be the first to notice."

"Oh, relax! Men never notice anything! Besides, acting in the shadows won't be a problem for you!" Etheline said boldly. "You are the Master of Darkness after all."

"…" Epona said nothing.

"Plus, it's not like she'll ever be the same again." Etheline turned around to leave. "And I'd prefer it if you didn't fail. Things will be so much easier if that woman is out of the picture." With that, Etheline vanished. Epona remained silent, still staring at Toshiro and Ren playing their game, while Ichigo said something, prompting Toshiro to turn around and yell angrily at him, probably something about being called Captain, followed by Ren laughing. Several minutes passed, and Epona still watched Ren and the two Soul Reapers, thinking about what Etheline said.

"Yes." Epona said. "It is the only way to fulfil my goal." Epona's hand clenched her cloak. "I will create the perfect world with my own two hands, no matter the cost." Now, Ren had won another game and Toshiro merely sighed, not caring either way if he won or lost. But, when Ren stood up and started to perform a victory dance, he smiled, and nobody but Epona saw. "And I will erase anyone who gets in my way."

…

The next day, Saturday, front of the Village Hall, 11.30am

"Right. Let's see what you've got." Ren said with a smile. She was dressed in a green t-shirt with the Triforce on the front, along with her usual blue jeans and necklace. She held a skateboard that had a green background and frog face on the bottom under her arm. Steph, however, had a skateboard with fire patterns underneath, and it was clearly not hers. She certainly did not look like she was skateboarding either, as she had a blue blouse, a pink sleeveless jumper and a denim skirt. Somewhat nervously, she placed her foot on the skateboard. It barely moved an inch.

"Nah, nah, you have to move the foot closer to the edge. Like this." Ren placed her skateboard on the ground and planted her foot on the edge of her skateboard, where it flipped up for her to grab with one hand. "Now you." Steph tried to copy Ren, but instead, the skateboard flipped several times in the air before clattering on the ground. Steph sweat dropped, embarrassed. "Ha ha ha! Also, don't use too much force."

"I'll never be as good as you." Steph sighed.

"Sure you will. You just need practice." Ichigo and Toshiro were close by, sitting on a low wall in front of the huge building Ren and Steph were playing by.

"Something tells me that she's more boy than girl." Ichigo remarked, taking a swig from a can of Cola.

"You don't say." Toshiro said in a distracted tone.

"Hm? Is something bothering you?"

"Not really. It's just…Have you ever had the feeling you're being watched?"

"Can't say I have. But, hey. An organisation is against us. Who wouldn't watch us?"

"Someone's watching us?!" Ren exclaimed, overhearing what Ichigo said. "Ew! Pervs!" Ichigo flinched, amazed at how sharp her hearing was, yet Toshiro said and did nothing in response, as he had got used to Ren's unpredictable nature.

_I've been getting it since last night._ Toshiro thought. _Nobody was outside the window, and there was nobody in that room but us. That feeling isn't here now, but what was it? Was it White Raven? Whatever it was, it felt dark. And almost…sad._

"Shiiiiiiiiroooooo."

"I'm here!" Toshiro yelped, suddenly being brought back to earth. Ren was right in front of him, her hands on her hips.

"C'mon. Let's go."

"Sure." Toshiro stood up off the wall.

"Why were you spacing out there, Shiro?"

"It's nothing for you to worry about."

"Uuuu, but if you say that I'll worry even more."

"It's nothing, really." Toshiro insisted.

"Well, if you say so." Ren said, still uncertain.

"I'm serious. It's nothing." Toshiro said again. He spun Ren around and walked to Ichigo and Steph, pushing Ren forward. "Now let's go."

"Alright, geez." Ren dropped her skateboard back on the ground and stepped on it, skating away from Toshiro. She looked over her shoulder with a smile. "I guess you can colour me reassured." Ren turned back around and raced around the corner, barely missing Ichigo, who yelled after her something about nearly running him over.

"I underestimated you." Steph said, appearing beside Toshiro.

"What do you mean?" Toshiro asked, puzzled.

"I thought it would take a while for Ren to let you in, but I guess the day is not far off."

"How can you tell?"

"You touched her back, didn't you?" Steph said with a smile.

"!" Toshiro looked at his hand. She was right. The first time it happened, Ren freaked out. It even happened recently when Nathan did it. But, he did it again just now, and nothing. No yelps. No scared looks. And, fortunately, no elbows in the gut.

"Ren only reacts like that when it's with someone she doesn't know or trust." Still smiling, Steph walked around the corner with the skateboard tucked under her arm, and after a few seconds of hesitating, Toshiro realised that they were all gone, and he had to run to catch up to them.

"Hey, Steph?" Ren started, looking over to Steph, who walked beside Ren while she skated. "You ever feel like you're forgetting something?"

"Sometimes. Why?"

"Well, I…Oh, I'm sure it's nothing important. Or is it?" Ren said mysteriously.

"Let's find out. We're passing your house."

"Oh, yeah." Ren looked up at her familiar house, and paused on her skateboard. "Hey, there's another car there."

"What?"

"Another car?" The boys had now caught up, and were staring at what the girls were looking at. Indeed. There was a black car in front of the car, the shine making it look as if it were brand new.

"Oh!" Ren tapped a fist on her palm. "I just remembered! My dad's coming back today!"

"Your dad?" Ichigo repeated.

"You have a father?" Toshiro asked.

"Yeah." Ren said flatly. A pause. "Wait." Her face went blank. "Uh oh."

"Uh oh? Why uh oh?" Steph asked.

"Well, I-"

"Awww! Can't I have a little alcohol?!"

"!" Toshiro flinched, recognising that voice.

"Of course not! We're here on a mission, so stop goofing off! They don't know we're here!"

"If you two keep yelling like that, then we'll be found out."

"!" Now, it was Ichigo's turn to flinch at the sound of those voices.

"Hey, who are you?"

"Told you."

"Oh, hiiiii! We're, um, we're friends of your kid."

"My son isn't home."

"No, it's the other one. You have another one, right?"

"My daughter?"

"Yeah, that one."

"Sure, why not?"

"Idiot."

"Uh oh, spaghetti o's." Ren muttered.

"You're kidding me." Ichigo groaned.

"Tell me I'm hearing things." Toshiro hoped out loud. "Tell me that's not…" Ichigo, Toshiro and Ren ran closer to the house and looked through the window to the living room. Their worst fears had come true. In that room was Ren's father, a middle aged man with black hair and glasses and a smart suit. And, before him, wearing their Gigai's, were Renji, Rangiku and Rukia.

"My father?"

"My lieutenant?"

"My rival?"

"My God!" Ichigo, Ren and Toshiro exclaimed at the same time. They did a double take and looked at one another, stunned. "Why are you worried?"

"I have a legitimate reason!" Ren insisted. "See, when I cast that spell to make people know who Shiro was, I might have forgotten a couple people, so my mom knows about you, but my dad might not!"

"What?!"

"Hey, hey, this is based on a might! Besides, she's your lieutenant, right? Why are you so freaked out?"

"I am NOT freaked out!"

"Yuh huh."

"Nuh uh." Toshiro retorted, ignoring how childish he sounded, and Ichigo was too bewildered to do or say anything in response.

"Right! That does it! I'm getting some answers!" Ren marched towards the front door and opened it with her house key. "Shiro, guard my skateboard." She walked into the house, while Toshiro picked up Ren's skateboard for reasons he didn't understand. Silence. "Ooooh, hi guys! This is a pleasant surprise! Let's catch up outside! Keep up, you two! Hi, dad! Welcome home, dad! I'll talk to you later, dad! See ya, dad! Love you too, dad!" Another silence. Seconds later, Ren marched outside, practically dragging Rukia outside, followed by a confused Rangiku and Renji. Ren then slammed the door shut with a sigh.

"Who the hell are you?" Renji demanded.

"You're meant to introduce yourself before asking the name of someone else, jackass." Ren said angrily. She stormed to Ichigo and Toshiro, who suddenly looked very nervous. Ren pointed at the three new arrivals. "You two! Explain! Now!"

"What's going on?" Steph asked, arriving to the house after spending too long watching from afar.

"That's what I wanna know!" Ren said in the same angry tone.

"She's pissed." Ichigo muttered to Toshiro, who nodded in agreement.

"Well?" Ren asked, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Right." Toshiro took a deep breath. He stood in front of the three Soul Reapers. "Why are you three here? Everything is under control."

"Not according to General Yamamoto, it's not." Renji said. "You haven't contacted Soul Society in more than a month. And nobody has heard from Ichigo either. Everyone thinks you're in danger, so they sent us here to see. Now, we can't go home, we can't use our powers, our Denreishinki are fried and we're stuck in these Gigai's."

"Well, there is an explanation for that."

"Shiro, is this your lieutenant?" Ren interrupted, pointing at Rangiku.

"Hi there!" Rangiku said cheerfully, waving at Ren. "I'm Rangiku Matsumoto, Captain Hitsugaya's lieutenant."

"…" Ren narrowed her eyes. She trotted forward, staring intently at Rangiku's chest. She prodded one breast with her finger. She did it a couple more times, prompting an embarrassed look from Toshiro.

"Ahaaa. Yeah, I get that."

"Stop harassing my lieutenant!"

"Huh." Ren said, lowering her hand. "I thought big boobs were impossible without surgery."

"Yeah, she's a right freak of nature." Renji agreed. "Name's Renji. Renji Abarai."

"!" Ren flinched after hearing his name. It sounded just like hers! And for some reason, it really pissed her off.

"Well? Tell me your name."

"…" Ren looked away, pouting. "I don't wanna." She muttered. Pause. "Ren Conner." She grumbled.

"What was that?" Renji leaned closer to Ren.

"Ren Conner." Ren grumbled again in an angrier tone.

"I can't hear you."

"Rrrr…Ren Conner!" Ren yelled, startling everybody.

"No need to shout." Renji grumbled. "Hey, our name's sound the same."

"Don't remind me." Ren said under her breath. "Well, I guess you're the last one." Ren looked over at Rukia.

"Um, right. Yes. My name is Rukia. Rukia Kuchiki."

"Hm." Ren raised her eyebrows. "Interesting name." Rukia started to look very nervous for some reason. Ren suddenly smiled her cheerful smile. "I like it!"

"R…Really?" Rukia said with a slight blush.

"Nn." Ren nodded. She clasped Rukia's hands in her own. "I hope we can be friends!"

"Yeah…Sure." Rukia smiled a hesitant smile.

"She certainly doesn't waste any time." Ichigo muttered.

"So, are you the one?" Renji suddenly asked, looking right at Steph.

"One what?"

"You know? The girl in the reports."

"Oh, no. No, I'm not. I think." Steph shook her head, suddenly confused.

""You're not? Then who is it?"

"Right there." Ichigo said, pointing at Ren, who looked back with her innocent, blank expression.

"You mean that weirdo?!" Renji exclaimed.

"Yup!" Ren said cheerfully, completely disregarding the insult.

"But you're so sma…" Renji trailed off as soon as he saw the captain shaking his head furiously, and the substitute Soul Reaper making an X sign with his arms behind Ren's back. "…art." Renji finished.

"Um…okay." Ren looked in different directions with her eyes, confused.

"Ichigo, what gives?" Renji hissed, appearing by Ichigo's side.

"Don't bring up the S word around Ren." Steph answered for Ichigo, much to his annoyance.

"She's really sensitive about her height." Toshiro explained.

"I can hear you, ya know."

"She's also got sharp senses, so watch what you say."

"Okay. Let me get this straight." Renji pointed at Ren. "This is the girl who could see you."

"Yes." Toshiro nodded in the affirmative.

"But what can she do? She's just a human."

"I'm tougher than I look." Ren insisted, an annoyed look on her face. "I'm the one who's been protecting your captain all this time. If anything, you should be thanking me."

"Oh, yeah?" Renji said with a cocky smile. "Mind telling me why?"

"Gladly."

BOOM!

"!" Everybody looked in the direction of the explosion. There was a cloud of smoke rising up in the distance, and from that distance, Toshiro, Steph, Ichigo and Ren could hear roars. Feathers.

"Or not." Ren said flatly.

"It's by the road leading to the village." Steph said, shielding her eyes to stare off into the distance.

"Crud. That's ages away." Ren cursed. "Oh, wait. I can get us there instantly." Ren clapped her hands together, and in one second, or maybe a little more, her Lightning Shackles appeared with a small flash of light.

"What…What are they?" Rukia asked, alarmed at the light around Ren's limbs.

"Hold onto your hats!" Ren yelled, before clapping her hands once more, and in a flash of light, everybody was instantly transported away from the front of Ren's house. Before anybody could react, they were now in the middle of a road, with the edge of the village right in front of them.

"Ah…Wh…What was that?" Ichigo asked, his head swaying.

"I don't feel too good." Toshiro groaned, rubbing his head. "Couldn't you have warned us, Ren?"

"I said hold onto your hats! Geez!"

"My fish has gone swimming in the piano…" Renji muttered before collapsing on the ground, his eye spirals.

"Renji!" Rukia was promptly by Renji's side.

"Captain, how did we get here?"

"Ren isn't like ordinary humans. She has powers of her own. Powers that combat the Feathers appearing in this world."

"Feathers? What are Feathers?"

"Them." Ren pointed behind Rangiku. She looked over her shoulder, and her eyes slowly widened.

"Wh…" Rangiku turned all the way around. Right there were dozens of Feathers, each one more different than the last, and each one tearing up the long road in some way or another. "What are they?"

"They're Feathers." Ren repeated."

"They…They look just like Hollows." Rukia, standing up and getting a proper look at the new monsters. "Only they seem different."

"I thought the same thing, too. They are tools used in an organisation, but we'll explain all that later."

"Huh?" Renji rolled onto his front, and looked in the direction his colleagues were looking in and saw…nothing. He noticed how there were several holes in the road, more than there should be, but other than that, there wasn't a soul in sight. "There's nothing there. It must be a trick. Either that, or Ren's weird trick messed with my head."

"What?" Ichigo went wide eyed after hearing that. "You can't see them?!"

"No."

"I don't understand." Steph said, shaking her head. "Why can't Renji see the Feathers?"

"Hmmm." Ren folded her arms, tapping her foot in thought.

"Can't you at least sense them?" Toshiro asked.

"Nuthin'."

"Ren?" Toshiro looked at Ren, seeing how deep in thought she was. Ren stopped tapping her foot, and several seconds of silence followed.

"AHA!" She suddenly yelled, tapping her fist onto her palm. Her eyes shifted to Renji, who had stood up while scratching his head in confusion. "Hey, Renji."

"What?" Renji looked over his shoulder at Ren.

"TAG!" Ren yelled happily, shoving Renji on his back so hard, he fell over again.

"Gah! Hey! What was that for?!" Renji yelled angrily, a massive bump on his head.

"That was completely random, even for you!"

"Relax, Steph. I did it for a good reason." Ren pointed at the Feathers again, who amazingly had not noticed the gang, despite the noise they were making. "You should be able to see them now."

"…" Renji looked behind him, still a little angry. But, the angry expression immediately vanished. Before him were blood thirsty, mindless monsters. "What the…What the hell are they?"

"He can see them now? But how?" Rukia said, voicing what almost everybody was thinking.

"It's contact." Ren answered.

"Huh?"

"None of you should be able to see the Feathers except me. That's the way it has been, but, through a series of events, all of you can see and sense them. I've never been able to figure out why. Until now."

"Mind explaining how?" Ichigo asked.

"Remember in the city centre when Pixie and Sentaro attacked us? When the Feathers appeared, Tom and Steph couldn't see them, but as soon as I tried to move them away, they were suddenly as clear as day."

"Yeah, she's right." Steph said. "As soon as Ren touched me, the Feathers just appeared out of nowhere."

"And then there's Ichigo. Even though he was practically staring at one, he didn't even blink. It was only when I tapped him on the shoulder that he could see it."

"That's right. If you hadn't touched me, who knows what would've happened."

"And now, these new friends of yours shouldn't be able to sense the Feathers let alone see them. Rukia and Rangiku had been in contact with me before the Feathers appeared. I took Rukia's hand and led her outside, so that enabled her to see them. As for Rangiku, I came into contact with her when I-"

"Okay, okay, okay, you don't need to explain that!" Toshiro said quickly, suddenly embarrassed again.

"Uuuu, you're no fun. Anyway, that left Renji the only one who hadn't been touched by me. That's why he couldn't see the Feathers while we all could. I hadn't touched him. So, when I tagged him just now, he was suddenly able to see them. Coincidence? I don't think so. So, the only way for anybody to see the Feathers is for me to have directly been in contact with them, and give or take a few days, you'll be able to sense them, too. And that is the reason why I tagged Renji." Pause. "That and I wanted to make Renji fall over." Ren said with a mischievous smile, prompting a vein to throb on Renji's head angrily.

"You figured all that out? Wow, you're not as dumb as you look!" Rangiku praised, patting Ren's head.

"Uuuu, don't patronise me." Ren shrugged off Rangiku's hand. "I have some Feathers to kill."

"You're going to fight them?" Rukia gasped. "But, you can't defeat them all by yourself."

"You'll be surprised." Toshiro said.

"Precisely. In case you haven't noticed, there's lightning around my wrists."

"Wait, so you make me fall and you expect me to sit here and let you go into a fight?"

"Yup."

"What kind of planet are you from?"

"Earth." Ren said simply, which suddenly gave Ichigo a sense of nostalgia. "Can I fight now?"

"No! I'm not letting you off that easily!" Renji yelled, standing up to glare down at Ren, who looked mildly irritated. "You can't just hit me because you felt like it, even if your intentions were good! It's not normal!"

"Can it, Red Pineapple." Ren said flatly.

"!" Renji recoiled back, speechless. The words Ren jut spoke echoed through his head over and over again. That nickname. That annoying nickname. It was just like the name a certain boy he knew who worked in a certain shop called him.

"The red haired devil!" Renji shouted, trying to attack Ren, but it took the efforts of Rangiku and Rukia to keep him at bay, while Ren looked on, confused.

"My hair isn't red, it's blonde. I think. But you have red hair. Is that your nickname?" That innocent commentary only caused Renji to struggle even more in the grip the girls had on him, his yelling now incomprehensible words.

"And so, a rivalry is born." Steph said, while Ichigo merely sighed.

"Just let Ren fight." Toshiro said in a flat tone, getting frustrated. Things were going to be a lot more difficult now that these three were here. It was exactly like the time he led a team of Soul Reapers into the World of the Living, except this time, Yumichika and Ikkaku weren't here. And that's the way he intended to keep it.

"Thank you, Shiro." Ren turned around to face the Feathers, who still had not noticed them and were still tearing up whatever was in their sight. "And I've just got an idea. I need my skateboard. Shiro?"

"Huh? Oh." Toshiro, realising he was still holding onto the skateboard Ren entrusted to him, placed it on the ground and rolled it across the ground towards her. Without turning around, Ren placed her foot on it, stopping it in its tracks.

"Thanks."

"What's with the "Shiro"?" Rukia asked.

"Don't know." Rangiku said with a smile. "But it's a cute nickname, don't you think?"

"Rangiku!"

"Let's rock and roll!" Ren yelled. With one push from her foot, Ren was literally rocketing towards the Feathers on her skateboard so quickly she was a blur. "Woohoooooo!"

"Oh, yeah. Her Lightning Shackles are on." Ichigo said rather matter-of-factly.

"Yeah. This won't take long."

"Captain, why are you and Ichigo so cool about this?"

"If you've been here as long as us, you'll know that Ren is perfectly capable of taking care of herself."

"Precisely, so we're just going to stay here and wait for Ren to return."

"But-"

"That's an order."

"Yes, sir." Rangiku sighed, folding her arms as best she could, and watched the Feathers tearing apart the road, as well as a trail of light weaving in and out. Ren.

"Yee haw!" Ren yelled. She skateboarded around and under the Feathers, yet she made no attempt of attacking them. Instead, she touched them with her hands, and each handprint she left on them glowed yellow before shrinking into a yellow teardrop shape. She wanted to end this quickly, and no ending was quicker than a flashy ending, no pun intended. And so, he was going to make sure all of the Feathers had one tag. Ren finally got to the edge of the Feathers and skidded to a stop. She counted the Feather. Twenty. And number of glowing spots? Twenty. Perfect. With a smirk, Ren clapped her hands, disappearing in a flash of light, reappearing in front of the Soul Reapers plus Steph.

"All done." Ren said, flipping her skateboard up and holding it with her left hand.

"Um, hate to break it to ya, Einstein, but they're still there. You didn't do anything."

"Did I, Renji?" Ren asked with a smile. Right after she said this, the clouds above the Feathers began to darken and rumble, prompting the Feathers to look up at the black omen. Unbeknownst to them, the Yellow markings left by Ren began to glow even brighter.

"What's happening?" Rukia wondered out loud, looking up at the clouds. She could have sworn she saw some flashes appear occasionally in there.

"Steph?" Ren said. Steph, with a smile, took out her phone and started the video recorder on it. "See, Renji gave me an idea. I thought I'd play a game of tag of these guys." Ren raised her right hand up. "And in my game of tag…" Ren snapped her fingers. Suddenly, twenty lightning bolts instantly shot out of the clouds, each one landing on a Feather and immediately making them burst into ashes. The light from this attack was so bright; everybody had to shield their eyes from the flash. All, except Ren, who had her back turned and was still smiling. The light died down, and the silver Feather cores clattered onto the ground, still smoking a little after that ordeal. "There are no tag backs." Ren finished.

"Aaaaaand…cut." Steph stopped videoing, and pocketed her phone.

"Aw, man that was so badass!" Ren exclaimed, dropping her skateboard for a minute to throw her fist up in the air. The Feather cores then shot into the air and into Ren's left palm. "Oh, ow, ow, hot cores, hot cores, hot cores, hot cores." Ren aid quickly, tossing the now gold cores between her hands. She quickly pocketed them as soon as they had even slightly cooled down and blew on her hands for about half a minute. "Phew." Ren looked up, and saw the open mouthed expressions of Renji, Rukia and Rangiku. Steph looked pretty normal, and while Ichigo and Toshiro were almost completely accustomed to Ren's ways, they still looked amazed. "What?"

"WHAT THE HEEEEELL?!" Renji yelled.

"Eh?" Ren blinked.

"What the…How did you do that? The lightning. And the things. They just…exploded. And these things. Why do you have them? What's going on? Tell me!" Renji asked quickly, all while darting around Ren at different angles, picking up Ren's arm a couple of times to look at the Shackles.

"It's a long story." Ren said, the Shackles disappearing.

"It does not matter. We have to know what is going on and why Captain Hitsugaya is stranded here." Rukia asserted. Rangiku nodded in agreement.

"Alright. Here it is." Ren took a deep breath. "Basically-Shiro-came-here-thinking-he-was-investigating-Hollows-but-it-turns-out-the-Hollows-are-Feathers-and-I-am-linked-to-them-in-some-way-or-another-though-I-don't-know-why-but-I-do-know-why-Shiro-is-linked-but-I'll-get-to-that-later-because-the-uber-important-part-is-that-there-is-an-organisation-controlling-the-Feathers-called-White-Raven-and-they-are-the-ones-that-wanna-kill-Shiro-since-he-is-as-big-a-threat-as-I-am-but-they-actually-know-he-is-a-threat-which-is-why-they're-trying-to-kill-him-and-it-turns-out-he-is-the-reincarnation-of-a-guy-named-Ryuki-who-is-a-Heavenly-Guardian-of-this-place-called-Cielvia-and-I-apparently-look-like-its-princess-who's-called-Zena-and-Shiro-is-starting-to-develop-Ryuki's-powers-since-he's-a-reincarnation-and-all-which-is-an-even-bigger-reason-why-they-want-to-kill-him-but-the-powers-are-handy-since-his-Soul-Reaper-powers-disappeared-since-my-being-here-made-it-seem-like-Soul-Reapers-didn't-exist-here-so-that's-why-you're-powerless-and-I'm-pretty-much-the-best-ally-you've-got-right-now-until-I-find-a-way-for-you-to-get-your-powers-back." Ren said very quickly and in one breath. When Ren finished, she sighed. Silence.

"Wow." Ichigo said slowly, amazed at how fast Ren could talk.

"Um…" Rangiku said, going over what Ren said.

"I'm sorry, but I didn't quite catch that." Rukia apologised. Ren narrowed her eyes.

"An organisation is our enemy and they want Shiro." Ren said bluntly. That's what she gets for telling the long version!

"Ooooooh." Renji, Rukia and Rangiku said in unison, suddenly understanding.

"My captain?!" Rangiku gasped, realising fully what Ren meant.

"Captain Hitsugaya?" Rukia looked over at her commanding officer, who didn't look the slightest bit worried.

"You're their target?!"

"Yeah." Toshiro said.

"And you're okay with it?!"

"Well, no, but I'm getting my powers back bit by bit. I'll be able to defend myself in no time."

"So we're just dead weight." Renji grumbled while hanging his head, suddenly depressed.

"No, no, no, no." Ren said in a comforting tone. Pause. "Actually, yeah." Renji groaned.

"I don't care if my powers are gone forever." Rangiku declared. "As your lieutenant, I will make sure that um…what's it called again?"

"White Raven." Ren answered.

"Right. I will make sure White Raven does not touch you."

"I will do my part too." Rukia said, determined.

"Hell, I'm in, too." Renji said with his usual smile, suddenly over his depression.

"Wow, Shiro. You've got some good friends here." Ren said happily, hooking an arm around his shoulders. "Count yourself lucky."

"I know I am." Toshiro said, sneaking in a smile. But, only Rangiku noticed. That, and the fact that Ren's arm was around his shoulders. Usually, he would shrug it off right away, but he didn't even attempt it. Why was that? It just wasn't like the captain she knew…

"I just have one question."

"Ask away."

"Where are we gonna crash?" Renji asked.

"Oh." Ren said, unhooking her arm from Toshiro. "Uh…"

"Here we go again." Steph sighed, knowing full well what was going to happen.

"…" Ichigo and Toshiro looked over their shoulders at Ren, who blinked innocently.

"What?" Ren said. She suddenly figured it out, and instantly went on the defensive. "Oh, no. Ooooh, no no no no no no." Ren said shaking her head and stepping back while bringing her hands up. "I am NOT having them stay at my house!"

"We live there, so why not them?" Ichigo asked.

"For obvious reasons, one being that my house can't accommodate three more guests!" Ren exclaimed.

"I'd offer to let them stay at my house, but it's not big enough." Steph said, her hopes of being useful suddenly dashed.

"Come on, Ren. Can't you just squeeze in a few more people?" Toshiro asked.

"No." Ren said firmly.

"But-"

"Dame!" Ren yelled, stunning Ichigo and Toshiro.

"She spoke Japanese." Ichigo muttered, surprised that Ren knew another language.

"She's serious." Toshiro agreed, knowing what Ren's habit of speaking Japanese meant.

"Damn straight." Ren said, nodding her head.

"What are we going to do?" Rukia wondered. "Ren can't let us stay, and nobody else knows about us?"

"Now what?!" Rangiku said with an exaggerated sigh. "It's not like we can get our own place."

"Own?" Ren repeated. "That's it!" She beamed, tapping her fist on her palm.

"Huh?" Everyone looked at Ren.

"I'm such an idiot! Why didn't I think of it before?!" Ren grabbed Rangiku's hand and practically dragged her back towards the village. "Follow me, follow me!" Ren practically sang. After a couple of looks, the rest of the gang followed, while Steph picked up Ren's skateboard and carried it with her.

…

"Hmph." Nathan leaned on a wall of the post office in his village, his arms folded. He was not in his uniform this time, but in a red T-shirt with the word "Duff" printed across it, a black windbreaker jacket and dark blue jeans. He may as well get used to this shirt. He was going to be wearing it a lot more for the next few days.

"That Ren. I won't forgive her." Nathan grumbled angrily.

"You and me both."

"Hm?" Nathan looked toward the sound of the voice. Standing on the pavement to his right was a woman with long black hair tied up in a side ponytail, wearing a black coat with a white belt around her waist. It was Dixie. "Who are you?"

"That's not important right now. What is important is this girl you hate. Ren's her name, right?"

"Yeah."

"Same here. I've got a bone to pick with her, too."

"That's nice." Nathan said dismissively, moving away from the wall and towards Dixie. "I'm not interested in your story." Nathan began to walk past her.

"What if I made it worth your while?" She said. Nathan stopped in his tracks.

"Go on." Nathan said slowly, looking over his shoulder.

"I know what you want. Ren has mistreated you. She has made you suffer for the last time. You want to make her pay for what she has done to you. I can make it happen."

"Keep talkin', lady." Nathan smiled, turning all the way around to face her. Dixie walked towards Nathan.

"You're a strong man, aren't you? Capable of so much, yet you have been misunderstood so many times. It's all that woman's fault."

"Yeah. You're right." Nathan said, narrowing his eyes. Dixie was now right in front of him. She didn't know that her plan would be this successful. To think that someone who also hated Ren could exist. It was all so perfect. She smiled. Ren won't know what hit her.

"You want revenge, don't you?" She purred, stroking the side of Nathan's face. "So do I. We're both so similar, Nathan." Nathan's his eyes widened. He wasn't sure what bothered him the most; this strange person flirting with him, or the fact that she knew his name.

"You know my name? Who are you?" Nathan asked.

"My name is Dixie, handsome." Dixie said with a smile that was flirtatious, yet there was a vicious look in her eyes. "And I think you and I can help each other out."

**Dun dun dun! Dixie is back! And she's teaming up with Ren's worst enemy! Meanwhile, what exactly has Ren got planned for the new guests? What will Nathan and Dixie have planned? Find out next time, and I will make sure it comes out sooner! Pinkie swear! See? Now I have to do it! I don't wanna swallow a thousand needles! It sounds painful…**


	18. Inferno

**Damn, I am NOT looking forward to the upcoming exams! But at least one of them involves a creative project, so I guess I have one of the three sussed. Now, all I have to do is slave away at all my notes and books. Crud. EXAMS SUCK!**

**Chapter 16**

**Inferno**

"Ta-da!" Ren exclaimed with outstretched arms complete with jazz hands. Behind her was a pretty large house with red bricks, spotless doors and windows and a small front path that had a patch of grass on either side, making it look as if it has just been cut. In short, the entire house looked brand new. And, noticeably, there was a sign behind the wall in front of the house that said "For Rent". Toshiro and the other Soul Reapers stared up at the house.

"A house?" Renji said, looking at it from roof to foundation.

"Yup." Ren nodded, still smiling.

"And you kept this hidden why?" Toshiro asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I didn't keep it hidden, I just forgot about it." Ren insisted.

"Same thing."

"Nuh uh."

"The sign says it's for rent." Rukia said, noticing the sign. "I guess we'll have to go to this company on the sign."

"Paperwork?! Aaaaaw!" Rangiku whined.

"Oh. You don't have to do all that." Steph said.

"Yay! No paperwork!"

"We don't?" Rukia said. Steph shook her head. "Why?"

"I own it." Ren said simply, turning around to face them.

"…" The Soul Reapers all went blank faced after hearing that. Even Ichigo was dumbfounded. "Eeeeeh?"

"W-W-W-Wait a second, Ren." Toshiro stuttered, suddenly inches away from Ren and a look of sheer confusion on his face. "When you say "own", does that mean it's…it's yours?"

"Yup."

"You're the landlady?"

"Yup."

"You're the legal owner?"

"Yup. Is that a problem?"

"The problem is how you could forget something like that!" Toshiro exclaimed

"Well, it hasn't had much interest since that family that visited in November, and with all that's been happening since meeting you, it kinda slipped my mind. But, since you have new friends here, they can have this place."

"Ren, you really are one in a million." Toshiro sighed, hanging his head. Seriously. Nobody can just forget about something like this. It was unheard of! But, as he could clearly tell, Ren broke the boundaries of normality yet again.

"It's ours?" Renji said, looking at the building again. "This house?"

"That house." Ren nodded. "It's got a living area, a dining room, a great kitchen with modern appliances, five bedrooms, four bathrooms, and a big back garden, so if you wanna practice, then that's the perfect spot. There's also a field behind there if you wanna go someplace that' private."

"It's perfect." Rangiku said with a smile, clapping her hands together.

"We can't thank you enough, Ren. It's amazing how you could own such a place under your name."

"It's no surprise, Rukia" Ren said as Rangiku, Renji, Toshiro and Ichigo admired the house.

"Really?" Rukia said, turning around to face the house.

"Yeah. I am the village head's daughter, after all."

"Village head…" Renji said slowly.

"Daughter…" Rangiku said in an equally slow tone.

"That makes sense." Toshiro said.

"Hm." Ichigo agreed. Silence. Steph looked from the Soul Reapers to Ren, wondering how long it would take for them to process what Ren just said.

"WAIT, WHAT?!" Everybody except Steph and Ren exclaimed, spinning around to face Ren, who wore her usual blank and innocent face,

"Oh. That took a while." Ren said simply.

"You've gotta be kidding me! You're the village head's daughter?! He has a daughter?!" Ichigo exclaimed, pointing at Ren.

"Yup." Ren said. "Wow, I think that's turning into my word for the day."

"Wait, what's the village head?" Renji asked. "Captain Hitsugaya?"

"I don't know." Toshiro shrugged.

"Allow me." Steph said, smiling proudly at her time to shine. "There are five villages in this general area. Oakworth, Woolfield, Portsbury, Millsdale and Hazelford. Tom and I live in Hazelford's neighbouring village Woolfield, Nathan lives in Oakworth and Ren lives right here in Hazelford. Each village has its own council, and each one is led by a village head. They themselves have their own council, where they make the final decisions concerning the five villages. The village head has power over the village they live in, and the role is passed on from generation to generation. Even if they do have more privileges than most people have here, they're actually equal to everyone else, and act like any other villager, so it's not like we have a feudal system here. As I was saying, the village head's responsibility is to relay any decisions made in the council and by the village residents to the other village heads, where the ideas are discussed and either approved or rejected." Ren placed a hand on Ren's shoulder. "And Ren's father is one of them."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Toshiro asked, a little frustrated that Ren hid something from him. Again!

"You never asked." Ren said simply. "It's kinda obvious, if you ask me."

"I mean, why else do you think Ren lives in a big house?" Steph asked.

"It's not that big. And besides, how else do you think the students and teachers all know who I am? Plus there's the fact I'm a landlady when I'm still in my school uniform, which is one of the privileges of being the village head's kid. I thought you'd at least be able to figure that out."

"I give up." Toshiro said flatly, feeling pretty stupid for not noticing the signs that seemed so obvious to Ren. It was clear now that Ren had very different ideas to him on what it meant to be normal.

"Any questions?" Steph asked.

"Yeah. When can we move in?"

"So glad you asked, Rangiku. I happen to have the key!" Ren took a keychain out of her pocket and tossed it in her hand, where it jangled from the keys and vast frog key rings attached to it.

"Wait, so you forgot about the house, yet you carry the key to it with you?" Renji said, confused.

"Yeah. This has the key to pretty much everything I own. This is the key to my bike lock, this one is for my locker, this is for the back door, and this one opens the front door, this one-"

"I get it, I get it." Renji groaned, not wanting to listen to Ren go over her keys.

"Aaaaaand, here is the key to your new home. Come on in, and I'll give you the tour." Ren opened the front door and entered the house. "Don't be shy. You're gonna live here, after all."

"Come on, you two." Rukia was the first to follow Ren, and Renji and Ichigo followed after her.

"Sorry we didn't say anything, Toshiro. But, it doesn't really have anything to do with White Raven."

"I know. I'm not bothered about not knowing. What does bother me is how Ren is always hiding things from me."

"She does it for a reason. And you know it."

"Yeah." Toshiro said with a sigh. "The sooner Ren lets me in, the better."

"Just be patient." Steph said, and she went towards the house, and Rangiku followed her.

"Come on, Captain." She said cheerfully, already halfway up the path. "I wanna call shotgun on my room, already."

"Coming." Toshiro said in a rather dejected tone. He began to make his way towards the house, but as soon as he got to the gate, he stopped.

_That feeling again…_ He thought. _It's the same as last night._ He looked to his right. All he saw was the empty road and houses. To his left was virtually the same. _Nothing out of the ordinary whatsoever. If so, then what is it?_ _It's not a Feather; that feeling is different._ Toshiro looked behind him at his back. _My back isn't burning, so it's nothing to do with Ren or Ryuki. It must be White Raven. But who? Is it one of the Twelve Masters?_

"Caaaaaaaptain."

"I'm coming." Toshiro said in an annoyed tone, briskly walking into the house and slamming the door behind him. Meanwhile, in the shadows, Epona was watching the entire thing. She pulled her hood down, a hint of frustration in her sad eyes. She had more allies. Now, it was going to be even more difficult to get Ren alone. But, Epona will come up with an idea. She had to. Ren was the only person in the way of her goal. She will not fail. No matter what.

A tour and a couple fire alarms later

"Bon appetit!" Rangiku said happily, gesturing the food laid out on the table. It all looked extremely unappetising, if not unusual, and the Soul Reapers and the two humans stood around the table, looking down at it with faces that were both disgusted and nervous.

"This doesn't look edible." Renji muttered, poking at a fish head with a fork.

"I think living with Orihime has affected your culinary skills." Ichigo said, looking closely at something that looked like bread.

"I swear I saw something move in there!" Ren said with a very freaked out expression, pointing at a bubbling pot of what appeared to be stew.

"Aw, come on! You try cooking with whatever's in the freezer!" Rangiku exclaimed.

"Well, it's not like the food is expired. I checked the packaging." Ren reasoned.

"Yeah. I'm sure it just looks bad." Steph agreed.

"Oh! Almost forgot!" Rangiku picked up a bowl containing a beige liquid and placed it in the centre of the table. Everybody peered at it, not quite sure how to react. "It's for dessert."

"It that ice cream?" Ren asked.

"Nope! Sponge cake! Um, I mean, it was." At this point, a couple of bubbles rose up from the liquid and popped loudly.

"!" Toshiro held back a barf. He was going to have to taste something worse than Orihime's cooking all over again!

"Well, let's not let this go to waste. Rangiku worked hard. We should at least have one bite after she offered to cook lunch for us."

"Ren, I appreciate your kindness, but you have no idea how bad her cooking is." Toshiro said, ignoring the fact that his lieutenant was shooting him a glare.

"Okay, how about this. If it's awful, then I'll cook dinner for you all."

"Deal!" Everybody yelled, their forks at the ready. Sure, they had no idea whether Ren was bad a cooking or not, but at this point, they were all willing to take that risk. So, with that in mind, they each took a forkful of whatever was handy and ate it. Silence followed, their forks still in their mouths. Ren was the first to remove her own fork.

"Um…" She started. "Race you to the toilets!" She yelled, and with that, she left so quickly, there was literally a Ren-shaped hole left behind where she once stood. Likewise, everybody besides Rangiku left the kitchen promptly, a clatter of forks hitting the table being the only evidence that they were there.

"Ah! Where's the bathroom?!"

"I can't remember!"

"There's four of 'em!"

"Where?!"

"Second to the right, end of the corridor, first to the left, one of the rooms is en suite and there's a toilet under the stairs! Don't go there, though! It's mine!" Right after this, there were hurried footsteps and a door slam.

"This one's mine!" A door slammed, followed by several others

"Let me in! I order you to let me in!"

"Taken!" Footsteps. Knocking.

"Occupied!" More footsteps. More knocking.

"Engaged!"

"Yes! Found one!" A door slam.

"Toshiro, let me in!"

"That's Captain Hi-"

"Not now, Toshiro!"

"Fine!" A door clicked open and then was promptly shut again.

"I need a bucket! I need a bucket! Yes!" Silence. "Oh, wait. It's gone." Steph entered the kitchen, holding a red bucket in her hands and a relieved look on her face. "Um, thank you for the effort, Rangiku."

"?" Rangiku looked at her food in confusion. She took a fork and had a bite of one if the dishes. "It tastes fine to me."

"I'm sure everybody is just not used to your…refined skills." Steph said, choosing her words carefully.

"Why is it green?!" Ren's voice exclaimed.

Several minutes later

"Urgh!" Ren groaned, rubbing her forehead "Now that is an experience I wish to never repeat."

"You said it." Toshiro sighed, completely drained.

"I swear I'm hallucinating." Renji grumbled, collapsing on a sofa in the living room with a half-dead look in his eyes.

"I think it's apparent that Lieutenant Matsumoto shouldn't provide the food."

"I already came to that conclusion. So, is there anybody here who can even remotely cook?" Ren asked. Silence. Rangiku raised her hand. "Let me rephrase that. Is there anybody here who can cook edible food?"

"Aaaw! That hurts!" Rangiku whined.

"No offence, Rangiku, but we need somebody who can put food on the table, not barf in the toilets."

"Ren has a point. We need everybody in top form if we're going to fight White Raven, and that means no poisoning."

"Yes, Captain." Rangiku sighed, admitting defeat.

"Now, pur-lease tell me one of you knows how to cook." Another silence.

"I know a few things." Ichigo said, raising his hand up.

"Great. Ichigo is the cook." Ren said, clapping her hands together.

"Hey, hey, I said I know a few things. I'm not that great."

"But it's the best we've got. Don't worry, Ichigo. I know plenty of things about cooking. I'll give you some pointers."

"After that ordeal, I don't think your cooking is any better." Renji muttered. Ren glared at Renji, then she was instantly behind him and punched him behind his head before jumping back and sticking her tongue out at Renji while he rubbed his head.

"I'm the landlady, so I decide what's what."

"Well, if you have faith in me, then okay." Ichigo said with a little uncertainty in his voice.

"Great! Now, what's in the fridge?" Ren almost skipped over to the kitchen area and opened the fridge door, looking inside.

"Well?" Steph asked.

"Nothing, nothing, nothing and, oh, what's this? A big packet of nothing!" Ren closed the fridge door, scowling.

"Really? Nothing?" Toshiro said, dejected.

"Nope." Ren opened the fridge door again. "Just this box of baking soda." Ren produced said box and waved it around for all to see before putting it back in. "What about the freezer?" Ren looked underneath the fridge and opened the lower door. "Nothing." Ren closed the door and folded her arms with a huff. "That's odd. I could have sworn there was a lot more here."

"Rangiku…what exactly did you cook?" Toshiro asked slowly.

"Well, um…you see…" Rangiku said nervously, fiddling with her hands. She counted herself lucky that he didn't have powers right now, otherwise the entire room would suddenly get very cold. But, even without his powers, Toshiro's glare that was barely a borderline on rage was still intimidating. "I wasn't sure what most of it was…or how to cook it…so I just…I just threw in…every…thing."

"Everything you say?" Ren said slowly. Rangiku flinched and turned around to face Ren, who had an intimidating angry smile on her face. On Rangiku's right was a white haired captain with an icy aura. On her left was a human who looked like she wanted to cremate her right there and now.

"Yes…Everything." Rangiku squeaked, smiling.

"RANGIKU!" Ren and Toshiro simultaneously yelled.

"UWAAAAAH!" Rangiku jumped behind a sofa, hands on her head and prepared for the worst. Just as she was finished saying her prayers, the frightening auras were gone. Nervously, she peered over the sofa, and Ren and Toshiro had suddenly calmed down and had seemingly not noticed how she was cowering behind the sofa.

_I think my captain has rubbed off on Ren._ Rangiku thought. _She's really scary when angry._

"This isn't good." Ren said with a sigh, scratching her head. "It can't be helped. I'm going to go down to the store and get some more supplies." Ren disappeared from the spot. Seconds later, she was back, and she had her green handbag across her body, and she tossed what looked like a car key in her left hand, only it had a charm that looked like two cherries, complete with a little plastic leaf, attached to it. "I'll be back in less than half an hour. I'm keeping the receipt though, 'cos the cost of this is getting added to your rent." Ren said firmly, pointing at the Soul Reapers with the car key.

_So harsh!_ Everybody but Steph thought, sweat dropping.

"Don't destroy the house while I'm gone." With that, Ren disappeared from the spot again.

"Wait, how could she teleport?" Ichigo asked, pointing at the spot Ren was moments ago. "Her lightning Shackles weren't on."

"Ren could teleport before." Steph explained. "I saw her do it a few days ago. I guess it's faster when she has her Lightning Shackles on, you know, speed of light and all."

"Captain Hitsugaya, while Ren is gone, you have some explaining to do." Renji said, now less nauseous than he was before. "Who exactly is Ren? And what in the hell is going on?"

"Very well." Toshiro said calmly, leaning on the wall with his arms folded. "As you can tell, Ren is not like ordinary humans. She has her own powers that even I don't know much about. So far, she can use small abilities like sensing the Feathers and purifying the Feather cores." Toshiro took out his own small bag of Feather cores and threw it on the small, wooden coffee table in the centre of the room. "In there are some of the cores Ren has obtained. They only appear after the Feathers have been defeated. We have too many, so we've divided them up equally, so she has some, and so do I. We think there is another use for them, but we don't know what. However, we are still collecting them. If the core is silver, then Ren has to purify it with her touch, and it turns gold when purified. If they aren't gold, then there is a high chance the Feather will come back at a later point with no injuries. Besides the Feathers, Ren has other abilities. She can implant memories into other people, which is how Ichigo and I are able to live here. Doubtless, she'll do the same for you three, as well. She can also teleport, as you can see, and she has other psychic powers like telepathy. More importantly, she can also use something called Elemental Shackles."

"Elemental Shackles?" Rukia repeated.

"What are they?" Rangiku asked.

"I don't know much about them myself. All I know is that Ren has the potential to wield all of them. I don't know how many she has, or if there is more out there that she possibly doesn't have. Right now, what I know about them is that they give Ren jurisdiction over a certain element depending on which Shackles she is using."

"How many does she have right now?" Renji asked.

"Three. One is the Lightning Shackles, which you saw this morning when she fought those Feathers. She can also bring out a katana as her weapon when using those Shackles, and the sheath is just as lethal. I have used the sword myself in battle, but I can't draw out the lightning capabilities, so I doubt you could. Then, there are the Wind Shackles. Their weapon is a fan that looks like it's made of wood, but it's just as deadly as a sword and can produce wind at will. Finally, there are the Fire Shackles. I don't know what the weapon for them is yet, but they are Ren's most used Shackles, and she can use them to fly."

"Lightning, wind and fire." Rukia said thoughtfully.

"What other elements is there, Captain?"

"I'm not sure, but they might be water and earth if I should make an intelligent guess."

"Why does she have those powers?" Rukia asked. "She mentioned something earlier about reincarnations. Is that something to do with it?"

"Probably. It's not definite, but White Raven is suspicious that she is linked to a certain somebody. Her name is Zena, and she is the princess of a world called Cielvia. It resides hidden somewhere in the Earth's sky, but nobody knows where, as it is currently frozen. But, one thing is definite. I am gaining powers that are almost similar to the abilities Ren has."

"What do you mean, Captain?"

"I mean that I am linked to all of this."

"!" The three new Soul Reapers could not hide their reactions. They said nothing, but their wide-eyed looks silently told Toshiro to continue, so he did.

"I am the reincarnation of a person named Ryuki, who is Zena's Heavenly Guardian. Her bodyguard. Ryuki is currently frozen in Cielvia, but he has appeared through me. However, when I return, I have no recollection of what has happened. The only way to tell if it is Ryuki is that he has two birthmarks on his back. If you see them on my body, then it is Ryuki. As a result of Ryuki appearing, I am gradually gaining his powers. I don't know them in detail, but he can wield another Elemental Shackle called the Ice Shackles."

"That somehow makes sense." Rangiku said. Everybody nodded in agreement.

"He might also have similar powers to Ren, but I don't know yet." Toshiro decided to keep silent about the premonitions he had. He wanted to keep that one to himself. For now. "As for Ren, Zena also appears through her occasionally. When she does appear, markings appear on her forehead. Four dots." Toshiro indicated by tracing a vertical line on his forehead with his finger. "And, Ren also has no recollection of what has happened while Zena is here. But, you must not tell her about this. She only knows that she might be linked to Zena, and that's as far as I'm letting it go."

"Why?" Ichigo asked, confused. Toshiro closed his eyes.

"Just don't tell her." Was all he said. The Soul Reapers exchanged looks, but they looked back at their captain and nodded.

"We won't say a word."

"Good." Toshiro moved away from the wall, and picked up the bag of Feather cores so that he could pocket them again. "Ren and I are trying to figure out how to get our powers back right now."

"And have you found anything?" Rangiku asked.

"…" Toshiro hesitate for a moment. When he pocketed the cores, his fingers touched the Amber that he carried with him. The Amber that Zena's spirit gave to him. The Amber that was restoring his powers. He could tell them all about it. He could tell them all that there was a way. And yet, his answer is…

"No." Toshiro said. "My powers are coming back, but it is only because of Ryuki's influence."

"Damn." Renji hissed, snapping his fingers. Toshiro felt bad about lying, but Zena herself requested that he kept quiet, so he was trying his best to respect that wish. But, it still left behind that bitter taste that came after telling a lie to his friends and especially to Ren. No wonder Ren was so honest.

"So what you're saying is that Ren is the best ally we have." Rukia included.

"Yes." Toshiro nodded.

"I'm sure our powers will return sooner or later." Ichigo said, trying to get rid of the gloomy atmosphere. "That aside, I guess I'm living here now, since I'm supposed to be the cook and all."

"I can help you with your stuff." Steph said, realising that she had stayed silent for a long time now. "Toshiro, there's another room left over. Do you want that one?"

"Actually…I'm staying with Ren."

"What? Why?" She asked. Toshiro glanced away for a moment

"It's just…There's something I have to do there."

"…" Steph smiled. She knew why he was staying. He wanted to know more about Ren. It made her happy to know that somebody was actually showing an interest in Ren.

"And besides, I'm the main target of White Raven." Toshiro said briskly. "It's best I stay near Ren in case we're attacked."

_But, like most guys, he's too shy to show his feelings._ Steph thought, closing her eyes while smiling to herself.

"Smart move." Renji said, nodding to himself.

"But, that room will always be open. Just say the word." Rangiku said with a smile and a wink.

"Thank you."

"I'm back." Ren said, suddenly appearing next to Toshiro.

"Dah!" Toshiro was so surprised that he tripped over his own feet and fell over. Rangiku had to stifle a laugh behind her hand for fear of invoking his wrath once again. Now that she knew about the Ice Shackles, there was an even bigger danger of the room freezing over.

"That was fast." Ichigo said.

"What are you talking about?" Ren said, confused. "I've been gone for about half an hour." Ren looked at her phone. "Fifteen minutes. Huh. That's a new record." Ren pocketed her phone again. "Anyway, the stuff is in the car. Renji, fetch."

"I'm not your dog!" Renji snapped.

"But you're my tenant, and you will do as I say."

"Or what?" Renji challenged.

"Or I'll increase your rent for this month, which might be a problem, considering that the receipt will be added to your invoice after Rangiku's kitchen faux pas."

"Okay, okay. I'll get it." Renji said quickly, standing up and leaving the room.

"You'll need the key." Ren said, dangling the key by the cherry charm. Renji stormed back, snatched the key out of her hand and briskly waked back out, grumbling under his breath. "It's the red car." Ren said loudly before she heard the front door open. "So, do you guys know about what's going on?"

"More or less." Rukia nodded.

"I know we have a few gaps in our knowledge, but over time, they will be filled. I'm also trying to figure out a way for you to get your powers back, and I'll definitely let you know when I find one."

"…" This remark suddenly made Toshiro feel guilty, and his eyes looked away from everybody, not wanting them to see his guilt.

"If you have any more questions, you know where to find me."

"Actually, we don't even know where you live." Rukia pointed out.

"You don't?" Ren blinked a couple times. "Whoops! My bad!"

"Honestly…" Toshiro sighed, standing back up again. That was embarrassing. "See that house just over the field? That's Ren's."

"Ooooh, okay." Rangiku said, looking out the window and potting said house.

"Almost…almost…there! Whoa…alright…I'm in!" Renji, in that instant, staggered in, carrying so many white carrier bags filled to the brim, his vision was completely obscured. He wobbled a bit before he dropped the dozens of bags on the ground, wiping his brow with his arm. "Phew!"

"You know, you didn't have to carry them in all at once." Steph pointed out.

"Che. This I nothing." Renji said with confidence.

"Thanks for doing that, Renji. Don't try to put them away. I'll take care of that." In that instant, the carrier bags all floated off the ground, and with mere glances, Ren put the food and other supplies away in cupboards, containers, the fridge and freezer, all while humming The Sorcerer's Apprentice to herself. In less than a minute, everything was put away after the entire kitchen was filled to the brim, and the only evidence left behind was several carrier bags in one big pile, and a long slip of paper that Ren made float in front of her before taking hold of it. She then placed it in her pocket for later use and the cupboard and the fridge-freezer closed simultaneously.

"Hang on a second, if you could do that, then why did you make me carry them in?!" Renji demanded.

"You're not here to be lazy, Renji."

"That's slave labour!"

"That's pulling your weight. That goes for you too, girls. I'm going to make an errand list for you guys. You will take it in turns to do certain chores, be it cleaning or shopping. Actually, Rangiku, you'd better not do that job."

"Why not?"

"'Cos you'd just buy alcohol. That's right. Shiro has told me all about you. I will not have anybody wasting money on booze."

"You're only saying that because you don't drink alcohol." Ichigo said, folding his arms.

"Uuuu! That's got nothing to do with it! Besides, you haven't even touched alcohol since coming here! Anyway, I think all the repairs and stuff should be attempted by Renji, and if he can't fix it, then I'll call someone in."

"Why me?!"

"'Cos you look handy."

"You're just giving me all the hard jobs because you hate me!"

"What? No!"

"No?"

"No. I don't hate you."

"You don't?"

"Nooooo. I'm just not that excited about your existence."

"That's the same thing!"

"No it's not."

"Yes it is!"

"No it's not."

"Says who?!"

"Says me."

"I get it! It's because our names sound the same! That's it, isn't it?!"

"No. Yeah. Sorta."

"Aha! Gotcha!"

"Shut up, Red Pineapple."

"Don't call me that!"

"…" Throughout the argument, Toshiro barely listened to Renji's loud yelling and Ren's calm retorts. Instead, he smiled a little, as he was still uncomfortable about everybody seeing their usually stone-faced captain with a soft side. If only this kind of peace could last a little longer. But, knowing the situation they were in, that was impossible. Still, he was going to cherish each moment like this with his subordinates. With his friends. With Ren. Especially Ren.

…

Monday, 9.30am

"Hey, guys!" Ren said cheerfully, standing in the common room just in front of the doorway. Tom, Steph, Ichigo and Toshiro were already in there, yet Ren had just entered, Renji, Rangiku and Rukia following. All of them were wearing the same uniform they wore during their time in Karakura, with the exception that Rukia wasn't wearing the red tie.

"What's with that uniform?" Ichigo asked.

"To be honest, I used up most of my money buying food for you all, so I couldn't sort out their uniforms. But, they're pretty much the same, so it's fine. I "persuaded" Mr Watson to agree."

"Does that mean you used…?" Toshiro trailed off. Ren nodded.

"It's just like you said Captain! She just talked, and then these vibrations travelled out, and then boom!" Rangiku outstretched her arms, making her exposed chest bounce a little. "As soon as we left the room, everybody suddenly knew who we were."

"I told him they were exchange student, so that makes up for the tattoos Renji has." Ren looked over her shoulder at him. "I still don't understand why you won't let me cover them up."

"I am not wearing any of your make up! I'd rather die!" Renji exclaimed.

"And that's not the only thing that's wrong." Ren, with an embarrassed look on her face, jumped back and pointed at Rangiku's overly exposed chest. "Can't you make an effort in covering yourself up?!"

"Is there something wrong with it?" Rangiku asked, blinking innocently.

"Don't try that innocent look on me! Fix it! Now!" A pause. Rangiku moved her hands to her shirt, but instead of doing the buttons up, she undid one more. "That's not what I had in mind!"

"It's fine, Ren." Toshiro said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "That's the way she is." Toshiro suddenly noticed how Ren was staring down at him. "What?"

"Shiro…I think you've grown."

"Eh?"

"Hey, yeah." Steph agreed, standing up from the table she and Tom were sitting around. "Before, your spikes were down to here. Now, they're up to here." Steph indicated with her hand, first about Ren's ear length, then moving it to the top of her head. Tohsiro looked up at Ren. She was right. Ren seemed a little shorter than before. And, looking in his reflection on the window, the tips of his spiky hair were indeed up to Ren's head level. He had finally grown. He did wonder why his trousers seemed to be getting shorter.

"My captain's grown!" Rangiku cried happily, voicing what Toshiro had just thought of. She immediately hugged his head, forgetting about how big her chest was, and his face got buried inside it while Rangiku jumped up and down happily, ignoring Toshiro's flailing arms and muffled yells. "It's finally happened! You're growing! You're growing!"

"Captain Hitsugaya!" Rukia and Renji yelled at the same time.

"Don't kill Shiro!" Ren grabbed Toshiro's shoulders and pulled him out, and he promptly took out a long gasp for air before sighing from relief. "See? That is yet another reason why you need to do something about your uniform. They're not just breasts, they're death traps!"

"Sorry! Forgot!" Rangiku apologised, smiling happily.

"And she is your lieutenant why?" Ren asked Toshiro.

"Sometimes, I ask myself that question, too."

"Here's some cash. You might need a new uniform if you get another growth spurt." Ren handed Toshiro a few twenties, and he placed them in his back pocket. A benefit to Ren's generosity.

"Heads up." Tom said, looking at his watch. "First period just finished."

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

"Hey, are those the new transfer students?"

"Whoa! Look at that chest!"

"And what about that red headed guy?"

"He's not ginger?"

"Whoa. I guess there are people with red hair."

"Like Rihanna?"

"I meant natural red."

"Oh."

"What about that other one?"

"Yeah. She's kinda cute."

"Just my type."

"I wouldn't make the moves if I were you. That red-head is glaring at you."

"He kinda looks like a pineapple, don't you think?"

"Ha-ha-ha! Yeah! A red pineapple!"

"SAY THAT AGAIN AND YOU'RE DEAD!"

"Dah!"

"Renji! Try not to pick a fight, you fool."

"Sorry, Rukia."

"My. They sure are popular." Ren said with a smile, folding her arms. In mere seconds, the three newcomers to the school were surrounded by many sixth formers, boys and girls. Rangiku was lapping up all of the attention, while Rukia immediately put up the friendly transfer student front that Ichigo was all too familiar with, while Renji just scowled and shot glared at any boys who tried to talk to Rukia.

"Say, where's Nathan?" Toshiro wondered, looking around for that blonde hair he loathed.

"I heard he got suspended for a week. Two tops." Ren answered.

"How do you-"

"Village head's daughter."

"Right."

"Suspended, you say?" Tom said, staring outside.

"Yeah."

"If so, then who's that?" Tom asked, pointing to where he was looking. Ren turned around to look. Sure enough, standing several metres away from the common room was Nathan, wearing the same t-shirt, jacket and jeans as he did in the weekend. Yet, he did not have his trademark smirk on his face. He didn't have an angry look, either. It looked almost…empty.

"Nathan?" Ren said, raising an eyebrow. Nathan turned to his left and begun to walk up the path towards the school building. "Um, you guys keep an eye on things here. I gotta check this out." Ren said quickly, taking off her blazer and placing it on the back of a chair before running after Nathan.

"I'll go with you." Tom said, following Ren.

"Ren!" Toshiro protested, but they were already halfway into the building by the time he began to follow them. So, he just decided to let them sort it out. After all, it's not like Nathan was a great threat.

…

"Okay, which way did he go?" Tom asked as soon as they had entered the main hallway of the school.

"Dunno. He just disappeared." Out of the corner of her eye, Ren saw a pair of doors move. It was the entrance to the cafeteria. "In here." Ren cautiously went to the doors and pushed them open. The cafeteria was completely deserted. The tables were empty. The chairs were empty. Everything was empty. The only sounds were the whir of the refrigerators and the tapping of Tom and Ren's shoes as they walked inside, looking around for any signs of life. "Anything?"

"No. Nothing. Let's try the kitchen."

"Okay." Ren started to go towards there, but Tom's arm blocked her path.

"Let me check first." Tom moved towards the white wooden door towards the kitchen, the serving windows closed off by shutters. He clutched the door handle and slowly moved it down. It clicked, and it moved open a crack. "It's unlocked."

"Odd. You'd expect it to be locked."

"Nathan might be in here." Tom slowly creaked the door all the way open, revealing the pristine kitchen with all of its white tiles, storage rooms, fryers, stoves and metal counters, all of which were pristine and shining in the lights. The only things that had even a little bit of wear and rust were the orange metal propane tanks near the back of the room. "Hello? Anybody in here?"

"You know, that's a major hole in horror movies." Ren thought out loud. "They always wander around in the dark yelling "Hello?" and "Anybody there?"." Ren started to walk into the kitchen while she continued to talk. "I mean, they're not going to say "Oh, I'm in the kitchen making a sandwich. You want one? By the way, I'm going to kill you with the bread knife." are they, so why bother?" Ren mimicked the voice of a deep man almost perfectly as she ranted before reverting back to her normal voice.

"Ha! Yeah!"

"Yup. Complete and utter cliché." As soon as Ren was by Tom's side, the door suddenly slammed shut.

"What the…" Tom was immediately by the door. He moved the handle up and down and tried pulling and pushing at it, but it wouldn't budge. "It's locked."

"We're trapped. But who did this?" Ren spun in circles, looking in all areas of the kitchen. "Somebody! Anybody!" Ren yelled, completely disregarding what she said earlier. "Where are you?!" As if in response, Ren hear the sound of footsteps. Tom stopped struggling with the door, and listened to the ominous sound. A shadow of a person appeared form the back of the room, and soon that face became clearer. It was Dixie. However, she had now abandoned her gymnastics attire. She had replaced it with a blue short sleeved denim dress with a short skirt and a white belt across her waist, with the buckle bearing the symbol of White Raven, her hair hung loose and she had high heeled black boots that came to mid-calf length.

"You." Tom whispered, recognising her.

"Pixie?" Ren raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, I'm in the kitchen making a sandwich." Dixie said with a smile and in a mocking tone. "You want one? By the way…" Dixie brought her left hand up to head level. Ren and Tom's eye widened. In her hand was a knife that had a thick, black handle and a jagged yet sharp edge. "I'm going to kill you with the bread knife."

"Wh-Why are you here?" Tom asked with a tone of fear in his voice, while Ren looked extremely annoyed at how Dixie had mocked her. That impression was terrible!

"I think I just told you, dumbass. I was only here to take care of this bitch, but I didn't count on you coming here. So, I guess I'll just have to take care of the extra."

"Leave Tom out of it!" Ren said firmly, standing in front of Tom in a protective stance.

"Ren."

"Tom. Get outta here. Find Shiro. Now." Ren said urgently.

"Right." Tom nodded, but when he started to turn around, he heard a click. He looked in the direction of that sound. He gasped. Standing to his right was Nathan, who wore that same blank expression on his face that looked almost vengeful. But, what Tom was more drawn to was the black revolver he held in his hand. Without breaking eye contact with Tom or Ren, Nathan slowly moved in front of the only exit left. Tom and Ren were, effectively, trapped.

"You're not going anywhere."

"You brought Nathan in this? Why?" Ren asked.

"Simple. Revenge."

"Revenge? For what?" Ren looked away from Dixie and straight at the gun in Nathan's hands. Although, right now, she was more bothered about how he was able to get hold of a weapon like that in a country like this. Whatever the reason, a gun and a school did not mix well. She spotted a small red box shape on the wall not too far from her. A fire alarm. Seeing that, Ren knew he had to get everyone away from here.

"I think you know. And, for that, you will die here." Without saying a word, Nathan cocked the hammer back with a click sound. Quickly, Ren jumped forward and slammed her hand on the fire alarm, breaking the glass and pressing the button at the same time.

…

RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!

"Aw, man."

"A fire alarm?"

"But it's cold outside."

"That's strange." Steph said, confused.

"What's strange?" Ichigo asked.

"We weren't supposed to have a fire drill today. And I don't see any smoke."

"That is strange."

"Well, I guess we have to go to the fire assembly points. Guys, follow Ichigo and Toshiro. They know where to go." Steph said, starting to go outside. In clusters and groups, the sixth formers and the gang all filed their way out of the common room, talking amongst themselves. As they walked outside, Toshiro couldn't help but look at the door Ren and Tom went through minutes ago.

_I'm getting a bad feeling about this._ Toshiro thought.

…

"Why did you do that?" Dixie asked, her voice audible over the ringing of the alarm.

"I'm not having innocent people getting hurt. That and I always wanted to trigger the fire alarm. But, not like this."

"Selfless." Dixie said simply. "Both of you. But, if you're not careful…" Nathan moved the gun to point at Ren, who suddenly looked very scared. "Your selfless nature could get you hurt."

"Huh." Ren managed to utter fearfully. "Heh. Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" Ren suddenly laughed, trying to get rid of the fear she was feeling right now. She was only supposed to feel this kind of fear when she was in dark spaces or if there was a spider in the room, not in a bizarre hostage situation. "Whoa, you got me there, Pixie! Nice gun you got there! You can't even get guns like that unless you have a permit! Ha! I bet it's not even loaded! Even better, it's probably a water pistol! Ha-ha-ha!"

BLAM!

"…" Ren went silent, all signs of laughter on her face gone. She slowly looked over her shoulder at the wall behind her back. Just inches from her head was a bullet hole, still smoking from the shot and surrounded by fresh cracks.

_Crud._ Ren thought. _Now I have two things to worry about. One; how the hell did Nathan get a gun? Two, that thing is frikkin' loaded!_

"I can assure you, woman, that this is very much real."

…

BLAM!

"Ah!" Some of the thousands of students started to scream and even duck down on the ground. The teacher instantly tried to calm them down, although they were also having a hard time hiding the panic they were feeling right now. The gang were all there, and they too heard that sound, even though it came from the front of the school, and they were all at the back.

"What was that?" Steph asked, fear in her voice.

"It sounded like a gun." Rangiku said, also starting to look worried.

"A gun?" Toshiro repeated. Suddenly, his back started to burn again. He barely managed to suppress a flinch from the burning before an image flashed before his eyes. It looked like a revolver, and a bullet fired from it, straight into a bunch of propane tanks. Then, there was an image of a part of the school exploding into fire. And just like that, Toshiro was back in the present, and the burning on his back disappeared as quickly as it came

_Another vision?_ Toshiro thought. _A gun, gas tanks and an explosion. But where?_ Toshiro's eyes darted around at the many buildings of the school, trying to think of which one would have something even remotely similar to what he saw. _Where?_ In particular, he looked where the chemistry labs were and the science department in general, since that was where they often used gas the most. At the same time, he tried to think of other likely places, remembering the visions and trying to find any other clues. _Where?_

"Captain Hitsugaya?" Rukia said, noticing how distracted he looked.

"Is something wrong?" Steph asked. But, Toshiro didn't answer. He was too lost in his train of thought.

_Those tanks. They were in some kind of room. A white room with tiled walls. Where is that? Have I seen it before? It was…It was… _Toshiro thought back to all the rooms he was in with Ren during school hours. The common room. The classrooms. The school grounds. That only left…

"The cafeteria." Toshiro blurted out without thinking, and he dashed forward, ready to go there. He suddenly got a gut feeling that Ren might be there!

"Where do you think you're going?" A teacher said, blocking Toshiro's way.

"Get out of my way!" Toshiro demanded, moving left and right, trying to find a way out, but the teacher blocked the only possible exit out of the large netball courts.

"Sorry, kid, but nobody leaves until the protocol that comes with fire drills is executed completely. We will return inside the school building once everybody has been registered. Now, go back to your form group."

"But-"

"Go!"

"!" With a growl, Toshiro turned on his heel and marched back to the others, kicking an empty soda can away from him in frustration.

"What was that all about?" Renji asked.

"Nothing. I just got a bad feeling." Toshiro grumbled quickly. He looked over his shoulder back at the school.

_Ren…_ He thought.

…

"You don't have to do this, Nathan." Tom said, trying to reason with him. "Just put down the gun, and we can get through it." No response. "Nathan!"

"I'm afraid he can't answer you." Dixie said, still smiling. "You see, I found him full of hatred for you, Ren, and he seemed more than eager to help. But, when I told him my plan, he downright refused. So…" Her smile became very sly. "I had to…persuade him." In that instant, Nathan eyes flashed green before going back to their original light brown. It wasn't around for long, but it was long enough for Ren to see.

"Alright, Pixie, what did you do to him?" Ren demanded, suddenly angry.

"Nothing much. I just brought out the deepest hatred inside of him that he held against you, and made it dominate his being. It is not a mind control spell. If you think about it…this is Nathan's own free will."

"Bullcrap! You just don't wanna get your hands dirty!" Ren yelled. In response, Dixie threw the knife she was holding straight at Ren, who dodged it just in time for it to barely miss her head and clatter onto the ground. She promptly backed away from the wall and straight for Tom, who held her shoulders protectively as she turned around to face Dixie.

"I am more than willing to get my hands dirty. I have killed plenty of people, but your death will be all the more sweeter." Dixie's smile grew wider, giving her an almost demented look. "All the rage I have kept inside me will be gone. The betrayal I felt will be soothed. I originally wanted to kill Zena, but that's impossible, so I will settle for you."

"Me?" Ren repeated. "Hold on a sec. Is this because I look like Zena?"

"Precisely!" Dixie cried out. "All those years I spent with Zena were truly great, but then, when I needed her the most…" The smile suddenly turned into an extremely angry scowl. "She turned her back. She left me behind to die. I…" Dixie looked at Ren, an enraged look on her face, "I was abandoned by Zena! I looked up to her! I loved her as though she were my sister! But when that day came, I cried for help, and she ignored me!" Dixie suddenly went quiet, although her fist were clenched, and the fire alarm finally stopped ringing, like the calmness of Dixie's mind had somehow triggered it to turn off. Tom moved Ren into a protective embrace, which she returned, still staring at Dixie with wide eyes. Dixie unclenched her fists. "But…all that ends today. I can finally rid myself of these feelings." Dixie looked at Nathan. Tom saw this, and his grip on Ren tightened a little. "Nathan. Do it."

"No!" Tom yelled as he pushed Ren away, pounced towards Nathan and grabbed each of his arms, prompting the two to wrestle for their lives. Nathan slammed Tom against the wall, but Tom kneed him in the gut and shoved him on top of a kitchen counter, pinning him down. "Ren, get out of here! Run!"

"No, I'm not leaving you!" Ren protested. "Wait…" Ren looked at the gun in Nathan's hand. It was flailing in different directions but in the struggle, Ren was the only person who noticed where it was pointing. Right at the propane tanks in the corner of the room. And nobody seemed to notice. Ren completely ignored how two of the people were trying to kill her. She had to do something, or this place was going to blow sky high! "Guys, stop it!"

"!" Tom gasped when Nathan got his left arm free from his grip and punched him across the face, making him stagger and let go of his other arm. Nathan, his eyes flashing green, then proceeded to point the gun straight at Tom. However, Tom grabbed a huge bag of flour from under the counter and hit Nathan across the face with it, covering his face in the white powder and showering most of the floor with it. Nathan staggered around, crashing into counters and making clattering noises as he hit pots and pans. While one hand tried to rub the flour out of his eyes, the other hand waved the gun around in different directions.

"Uh oh." Ren, knowing where this was heading, quickly clicked her heels once, and the Fire Shackles appeared instantly. Warning them didn't work, so she'll just have to go to plan B. "Tom!" Ren yelled, outstretching her hand to him, and he immediately took it.

"What are you doing?!" Dixie yelled at Nathan, getting impatient with this human's weakness.

"!" Nathan, his eyes still shut, looked in the direction he heard the voice. After that, everything happened in an instant, yet it seemed like time itself had slowed down.

He pointed the gun.

He fired.

Dixie cried out.

She ducked down on the ground.

The shot missed her by a hair.

It continued to travel across the kitchen.

Dixie finally saw the propane tanks.

Ren tried to reach Nathan while her left arm was around Tom's shoulders

Ren's hand almost touched Nathan's jacket.

The bullet…

…

"That's it." A female teacher said, closing her clipboard shut. It was the teacher who wore her brown hair in a bun. "That's the last group."

"Well, Mrs Roberts?" Mr Watson said.

"Two students are missing."

"!" Toshiro listened closely after hearing this.

"Who?"

"It's…" The teacher, now Mrs Roberts, opened up the clipboard again, looking down the names. "Tom Barnes and Ren Conner."

"Ren?" Mr Watson said, raising his eyebrows in a rare expression of surprise. "She must still be in the school. That's not like her. She hates the sound of the fire alarm. She'd do anything to get away from it."

"Well, let's just be fortunate that this wasn't an actual fire." Mrs Roberts said. "For now, let's start bringing the students back in the school. We've already missed half of the second period."

"…" Toshiro closed his eyes, relieved. Everybody was going to be moved back inside. That means the explosion probably won't happen. But just to be sure, he began to briskly walk towards the exit, and he made it out of the netball courts before anybody even noticed he had gone. Nobody except the Soul Reapers and the human. They all followed Toshiro out, wondering why he was behaving in such a suspicious way. They had just about caught up to him when he was almost at the school building. Steph noticed that Toshiro was going towards the door that led to the main corridor. Why there, of all places?

"Alright, everybody. Return back to your lessons!" Mr Watson said in a commanding voice, followed by many sighs of relief and exclamations of "Finally!" and "It's freezing!"

"Toshiro, wait!" Ichigo called out as soon as they were in hearing distance. Just as Toshiro grabbed the door handle.

KA-BOOOOOOM!

"AH!" The force of the sudden explosion was so great; it swept the gang right off their feet. Toshiro, who was closer to the explosion, was forced back when the door was ripped away from the building, and as he skidded on the ground, the door broke, leaving only the door handle in his hand, and he landed right in the middle of the Soul Reapers. In the distance, everybody could hear the screams of the students and the yells of the teachers trying to calm them all down.

"What the hell?" Ichigo groaned, sitting up with a wince. His eyes widened. Before them all, the main school area was on fire, and there was so much smoke coming out of open windows that the sky above that building was coloured a dark, ashen black.

"Is everybody alright?" Steph asked, helping Rukia back onto her feet, who couldn't take her eyes away from the burning building.

"Captain." Rangiku went to her captain's side as he picked himself up.

"I'm fine." Toshiro said dismissively, looking at the door handle in his hand, before discarding it. As soon as he looked up, he saw the burning building. His eyes widened. The premonition. It came true. The entire building was on fire. He couldn't see the flames, but the smoke was enough to show that this was a big fire. Suddenly, there was another explosion, which blew out most of the windows in that general building.

"Ah!" Everybody shielded themselves from the falling glass, and the flames finally showed through the windows, quickly tarnishing the red bricks with black ashes. However, Toshiro didn't even try to move away from the falling glass. He was too drawn to the fire licking the school. A fire that was caused by the very gunshot he saw in the vision. A fire that was in the same building Ren was.

"REN!" Losing all sense of composure, Toshiro scrambled back onto his feet, forgetting about the glass on the ground and it cut into his hands, but his panic completely nullified his sense of pain, and he broke into a run straight towards the inferno.

"Renji! Ichigo!"

"Right." Ichigo and Renji ran after Toshiro after Rangiku spoke, and as soon as they caught up to him, Renji restrained his arms while Ichigo had an arm in front of his neck, almost completely immobilising him. Despite his struggles, Ichigo and Renji kept their hold firm and strong.

"Let me go! Dammit, let me go right now!"

"Captain, I know that you're worried, but we can't have you acting so recklessly. You could get killed." Rangiku said, standing in front of Toshiro. The carefree attitude she originally had was gone, and she was acting like the lieutenant she was.

"I don't care! Ren is in there! I have to help her!"

"Toshiro, I'm just as worried as you are, but we can't do anything." Steph said. "We just have to wait for the fire department to come."

"By that time, Ren will be hurt or even worse!"

"Calm down, Toshiro!" Rangiku almost yelled. That name calling was enough to stun Toshiro so much that he stopped struggling and stared straight at Rangiku. She never called him by his first name. Not since he was a child who was still a student at the academy. It was like he was a child again and Rangiku was the Soul Reaper who discovered him. "I'm sorry." Rangiku promptly apologised. "It was all I could think of to get your attention."

"The fire department will be here soon." Rukia said, repeating what Steph said just in case Toshiro didn't hear. "They can take care of the fire."

"Ren will be fine." Steph said firmly. "I know it."

"Exactly." Ichigo agreed. "She's not going to let a measly explosion stop her."

"…" Toshiro, finally calming down, let his arms hang limply in Renji's hold, prompting him to let go to allow Toshiro's arms to drop to his sides. After a little hesitation, Ichigo also let go of the captain. The Soul Reapers were all surprised that their calm captain could panic like that, when he had always stayed composed and silent. That was just how much Ren meant to him.

"Hey! Somebody's coming out!" Steph gasped, pointing at the destroyed door.

…

"Tom! Are you alright?!" Ren yelled over the roar of the flames. The white pristine kitchen was now coloured an array of red and orange, and the heat of the fire was overwhelming. However, surrounding Tom and Ren was a red, transparent bubble. The flames brushed past the walls of the bubble, yet it did not mark it with a burn. In fact, the floor that the two of them were standing on was still white.

"I think so." Tom answered. "Quick thinking, Ren. If you hadn't turned on your Fire Shackles, we'd be ashes."

"It will protect us from the fire, but the smoke is another matter." Right after Ren said this, she coughed a little.

"We have to get out of here!" Tom looked around for any form of exit. Them he saw that there was a hole in the wall that led to the main corridor, which had also caught fire. "There! Let's go!"

"No! You go on ahead. I'm going to find Pixie and Nathan."

"But Ren…" Tom protested. Ren smiled her happy smile at him.

"Daijoubu." She said. "The Fire Shackles will protect me, too. The shield will stay around you until you get outside. You'll be fine. I'll be fine. We'll all be fine. I'll say it again; daijoubu."

"But…" Tom started. But, seeing the earnest smile on Ren's face made him stop. Ren wouldn't lie if she knew she would be okay. He nodded.

"Alright. Go. I'll follow you later."

"Right." Reluctantly, Tom let go of Ren's hand and he ran through the hole and down the corridor, looking for any form of exit. The red bubble around him protected him from all forms of the strong fire. There was now so much of it the whole corridor had an eerie red glow. It was like he was running in Hell itself. However, unbeknownst to him, the shield remained around him, but no such shield was around Ren. She was completely exposed.

"Be safe. "Ren said quietly, still smiling. Another explosion shook the building a little, but Ren kept her balance by holding onto a counter, but promptly whisked her hand away with a yelp and shoved it under her arm to try and soothe the burn until it regenerated on its own, like her body usually did. "Right. Metal. Metal conducts heat. Uuuu, that's hot!" After the shockwave of the explosion passed, wood from the ceiling collapsed in front of the exit. But, Ren didn't mind. She'll just make her own way out as soon as she found Nathan and Dixie. "Nathan! Pixie!" Ren yelled over the roaring of the flames, wandering through the fire. She didn't care about there not being a shield to protect her. Wherever she walked, the fire parted to let her through, and promptly close behind her as if she had never been there. She still had the Fire Shackles on, so she could control it to her will. Too bad she couldn't put it out, though. But, that didn't matter. Tom was going to be safe. That's all that mattered. Still calling out to her two enemies, Ren went deeper and deeper into the fire.

…

"Come on…Come on!" Tom muttered to himself, stopping in the middle of the corridor. There was another explosion that almost knocked Tom off his feet. "I have to get out of here. The fire is going to hit the chemistry block soon." That was when he saw it. A light. It wasn't red. It wasn't orange. It was white. An exit! "Yes!" Tom promptly ran towards it. A doorway. As he got closer, Tom could feel the sweet fresh air hit him.

"Hey! Somebody's coming out!"

"Steph!" Tom yelled as soon as he got outside. Sure enough, the shield disappeared with a small pop sound when he was outside. The sudden burst of fresh air made Tom cough, having already adjusted to breathing in smoke more than air.

"Tom!" Steph ran up to him and hugged him. She pulled away and looked at his face, surprised to see that it wasn't covered in ashes and soot, like she would expect. In fact, he wasn't even burnt. "Tom. You're okay."

"Yeah. Ren had her Fire Shackles on before the explosion. She protected me with a shield immune to fire. I might have inhaled some smoke though, but it's not serious."

"What the hell happened here?" Renji demanded, indicating the inferno.

"Nathan and Dixie had us cornered. Nathan is someone from Ren's past, and Dixie is a member of White Raven." Tom explained, remembering how the three new arrivals knew next to nothing about White Raven and Ren. "Nathan is being controlled by Dixie. He had a gun. I tried to take it off him, but he shot some propane tanks and then…well, you know."

"Where's Ren?" Ichigo asked, noticing how she wasn't with him.

"She's still in there."

"She's what?! "Toshiro gasped, going wide eyed.

"I tried to take her with me, but she insisted. She's trying to save Nathan and Dixie."

"But they're the enemy, right? Why bother?" Renji asked, confused.

"That's just the way Ren is." Steph answered quietly. "Friend or enemy, Ren won't save herself until everybody is saved first."

"What do we do?" Rukia asked, now completely worried.

"The fire department won't arrive for another few minutes." Steph said, looking at her watch.

"And there's no way we can go in there without getting hurt." Rangiku indicated the fire, which had now obscured the exit Tom had run through.

"We'll just have to wait. Ren will find a way out." Tom said with confidence, but that didn't stop him from looking back at the school with concern all over his face. "She has to." After hearing this, Steph looked up at the flames with clasped hands, while Tom placed an arm around her shoulders, trying to reassure her silently.

"…" Toshiro, meanwhile, was resisting all of the overwhelming urges that told him to run in there and save Ren with no regard to his own safety. Yet, part of him tried desperately to believe the reassuring comments everybody was making to one another to hide their own nerves. Toshiro had never felt more helpless in all of his life. Before, he would have dashed inside with confidence to save Ren, but now that he was powerless, he would only get hurt or killed. And so, he continued clinging to the hope that Ren will make it out alive. Ichigo was right. Ren won't let something like this hold her back. Besides, Ren had her Fire Shackles on so she was going to be fine, right?

Right?

_Ren…_Toshiro thought, clenching his fists. He still hadn't noticed how cut up they were, and blood leaked out and dripped onto the ground, but even through that Toshiro didn't notice the pain. He looked deep into the fire flickering out of the doorway just as some of the ceiling collapsed in front of it. _Please be okay._ Knowing that nobody was looking at him, Toshiro brought his bloodied hands up and clasped them together, closing his eyes as tightly as he could, and ignoring how much they were aching. _Don't die. No matter what it takes, just come back to me alive. Please!_

**Whoa, that is intense! Will Ren make it out of the fire? What about Dixie and Nathan? What is their motivation for doing all of this? Find out in the next chapter! Advanced warning though. It's gonna be a little flashback-y. Without 'em, then it just won't make sense! So, I'm afraid you're just gonna have to grin and bear the next chapter if you don't like flashbacks. Sorry.**


	19. The Reason I Hate You

**Hey, guys! It's great that this story is getting pretty popular, but pur-lease stop asking me when I'll update. It's getting kinda annoying now. I'll update when I update! Now that that's out of the way, I just wanna saw thanks for reading and enjoying. And, as I pre-warned, this chapter is gonna be a bit flashback-y.**

**Chapter 17**

**The Reason I Hate You**

_There is a world that exists in the skies of our own. It is a land that surpasses all forms of beauty and yet no human can ever witness it. That land is Cielvia. A floating island with houses and a grand castle on the farthest edge. And, surrounding this massive island are dozens of other smaller lands that a human can't get to easily. However, for Cielvians, this is an easy task, as they all have their wings, and many Cielvians, young and old, fly around the city, free as birds. The sky is almost always blue, and even the people who do not have a house to call their home are happy. This is a world where everybody is free._

_Now, to the castle. The home of Cielvia's royal family. The castle is of the purest white, with hints of blue. Truly, it is like seeing something out of a picture book. The grand hallways also shine with a white tinted with a light blue, and crystal chandeliers hang from the ceilings. But, there is nobody walking through these hallways. Only a girl no older than seven years old. This girl in question had long black hair in a loose ponytail, and she wore a simple white dress with a blue apron. This girl was clutching a feather duster in her hands, and she stopped walking when she reached a blue vase. She cleaned it with the duster, but the duster was so long and the vase so big, that one little nudge was enough to make it wobble and collapse on the floor, where the smash echoed in the silence of the hall._

"_Oh, no!" The girl gasped. She dropped down and begun to collect up the pieces. However, the vase pieces became surrounded by small, white stars that made the pieces hover in the air and remould until the vase was standing on the ground in one piece, and the white glow disappeared. "Huh?"_

"_All fixed."_

"_!" The girl looked up at the sound of the voice. It was another girl of about eight years old with long, blonde hair and a white dress with blue borders, yet what stood out the most to this maid was the large, blue teardrop shape on the front of the dress and the necklace with a similar, orange teardrop shape on the chain. The mark of the royal family. "Your Highness! I sincerely apologise!" The maid said profusely, shifting onto one knee and bowing her head._

"_It's okay." The royal girl said calmly, smiling. "I fixed it, so there's no need to apologise."_

"…" _The young maid looked up, stunned that a member of royalty would say that, while still avoiding making eye contact._

"_And please, don't bow to me. I'm a girl, just like you. So, stand up." After hesitating, the maid stood up, still a little confused about how the girl was addressing her so casually, as if she wasn't wearing the necklace that showed her lineage. "I haven't seen you before."_

"_Y-Yes. I just started today." The maid stuttered, clutching the duster with both hands nervously._

"_Ah, you must be part of the programme I put in place."_

"_That was your idea?"_

"_Nn." She nodded. "I was inspired to do it after meeting a wonderful person."_

"_Thank you so much for this opportunity, Your Highness!" The maid gave the princess a low bow._

"_You're very welcome. But, there's something wrong with what you're doing."_

"…" _The girl did not raise her head, suddenly very scared. She did something wrong? What did she do? Was she going to be kicked out?_

"_You've been calling me Your Highness and acting like I'm your superior. Well, I am, but you know what I mean." The maid straightened up, surprised. "So, please, call me by my name."_

"_Your name?" The maid said slowly._

"_Uh huh." The princess nodded, smiling. "My name is Zena. I'm pleased to meet you."_

"_P…Pleased to meet you." The maid said, a shy blush on her face, and still trying to avoid eye contact with Zena._

"_What's your name?"_

"_Ah! M-M-M…My name is Dixie!" The maid stuttered out, completely overcome by nerves._

"_Pleased to meet you. There, that wasn't so hard." She outstretched a hand towards Dixie. She looked up at her face for the first time. The princess was smiling a cheerful smile. "I want us to be friends."_

"…" _Dixie raised a hand up slowly, not quite sure how to react._

_Friends… She thought. For the first time since meeting the princess, she smiled. I like that word. Her hand clasped Zena's. A maid and a princess. So different yet so similar._

"_It feels warm…"_

…

"_Come on, Dixie. We've been friends for years now. At least call me by name." Zena said, frowning. She was sat cross legged on a queen size four poster bed with blue, chiffon curtains, and white bed sheets with a large, blue teardrop shape on it. The curtains almost completely obscured anyone's vision of her. Dixie herself had significantly grown older. She was now a young woman of seventeen years old. Her maid outfit was still the same, except his time, the skirt was much more pleated and her loose ponytail was now higher and to the side. Dixie looked away from the bed shyly._

"_My apologies, Your Highness."_

"_EEEEEH!" Zena said loudly, imitating a buzzer. "You've done it wrong. Call me by my name. We're friends, so you should address me as such."_

"_Okay…Princess Zena."_

"_Urgh!" Zena groaned. "That's close enough, I guess." Dixie saw the curtains sparkle a little and they parted to reveal Zena. She had also aged a lot. The princess, now eighteen, shifted herself off her bed and jumped off. She wore a white t-shirt with a blue teardrop on the front, and long cotton night trousers with smaller, blue teardrop shapes decorating it. Her long hair was a little messy, but Zena didn't seem to care. She stretched her arms above her head and yawned. "Seriously. I know you're a maid here, but you live here, too, just like I do." While Zena spoke, she walked past Dixie and sat in front of a blue, crystal dressing table, picked up a hairbrush and brushed her long, blonde hair. "We should at least be able to call each other by name, regardless of rank."_

"_That is true, but you are the princess of Cielvia and heir to the throne. It is considered disrespectful to address you by your name."_

"_Not anymore it's not."_

"_Why?"_

'_Cos I said so." Zena said with a smile, pointing her hairbrush at Dixie before resuming her grooming. "I hate it when people see me as a princess rather than Zena. I'm a person just like them." Zena placed her hairbrush back down and picked up her necklace. But, instead of putting it on, she stared at the gem. "I know I bear the symbol of royalty, but I wish everybody would look past it. Even Ryuki still calls me Princess." Zena finally fastened it around her neck._

"_Well, he is your Heavenly Guardian."_

"_True, but I've known him since before I met you. I still called him by his name even after he became captain of the Leo Division."_

"_You really are unique…" Dixie said quietly._

"_I sure am!" Zena exclaimed, throwing her arms up in the air as she stood up. "Anyway…" She trotted over to Dixie, an excited look on her face. "I'll need your help with something." She said, her voice lowered to a whisper._

"_Just say the word." Dixie said, her face serious and ready to do whatever Zena asked her._

"_You think you could help me pick out an outfit for tonight?"_

"_Why?"_

"_Well…um…" Zena suddenly went very shy, fiddling with her hands with a pink blush on her face. "I'm going to meet Ryuki tonight."_

"_What makes this so special?" Dixie asked, cocking her head slightly. Zena dashed over to her bedroom door, opened it up a crack, closed it after a few seconds and ran back to Dixie._

"_Well, tonight, I'm going to…to…to tell him something important."_

"_You mean…" Dixie said, starting to smile. Zena nodded quickly. Zena and Dixie proceeded to squeal in excitement, jumping up and down like little girls while holding each other's hands. Dixie, for a moment, had completely forgotten that Zena was a princess and she was a maid and fully enjoyed this moment she was having with Zena. "I can't believe it! You're finally going to tell him!"_

"_I know, right?!" Zena half-squealed after they were done jumping. "But…what do you think he'll say? I mean…do you think he'll feel the same way?"_

"_I'm sure he will." Dixie said firmly, still holding Zena's hands. "He's spent almost his entire life with you. I'm sure, no, I'm certain he'll feel the same way."_

"_You think so?"_

"_I know so."_

"_Well…he did say he also had something important to tell me." Zena's eyes widened. "You don't think…" Zena let go of Dixie's hands. "Omigod omigod omigod omigod omigod!" Zena squealed, her hands clasping her face, beaming of both excitement and nerves._

"_I've never seen you so excited."_

"_Of course I'm excited! Oh, but I'm so nervous at the same time!"_

"_You'll do fine." Dixie reassured her. "Now, let's get you out of those night clothes."_

"_Oh, right." Zena, still blushing, opened her wardrobe doors, staring at the many outfits. "Aw, man. I know we only wear traditional royal garbs for special occasions now, but some of these outfits are so…formal."_

"_You are a princess." Dixie pointed out, as she had done so many times after meeting Zena. Never before had somebody from royalty been so free spirited. However, it is because of her independence and her open personality that all of the Cielvians loved her, including Dixie._

"_Yeah, yeah." Zena stood back from the wardrobe, her hands on her hips. "So, Dixie, which do you think is best?"_

"_Well, personally, I don't think it should be too formal. It should be elegant, yet casual."_

"_Ah, I see. Should I wear these denim trousers?"_

"_No, no, that's too informal. This is a confession, so you want to look like you've made an effort and also wear something that reminds him that you are a girl."_

"_That makes sense. Maybe I should wear this gown. It's something I wore for special occasions, and this is definitely a special occasion. It may have the royal seal on it, but the skirt is kinda short, so that makes it casual, right?"_

"_It does?"_

"_Yeah. For formal occasions, I wear this one." Zena pointed at another dress._

"_Oh, I see what you mean. Yes, that dress is beautiful. You should wear that."_

"_Are you agreeing with me because I'm who I am, or because that's what you honestly think?"_

"_Can it be both?" Dixie asked, smiling._

"_You're hopeless." Zena said with a smile. "But, that's what I like about you. Alright. This will be the one." Zena took out said dress and hung it up on the wardrobe door. It was a white dress with the blue, teardrop shape on the front. But the lower skirt was made of a light blue chiffon fabric that was longer at the back than the front. The dress was sleeveless, but there were chiffon fabric bell-like detached sleeves that matched the lower skirt hanging limply over the hanger, blue ribbon hanging on top. Zena took out some blue sandals and tossed them underneath the dress._

"_Right." Zena's night clothes glowed white and were soon replaced by a white short sleeved t-shirt that was elegant enough to almost be a blouse, and the rounded collar had a thin, black ribbon around it to tie into a bow on the front, and there was a black, pleated skirt to match, along with black socks halfway up to her knees and white ballet pumps. Zena finally shut her wardrobe doors, satisfied. The chosen dress and shoes hovered in the air and hung on one of the posts of Zena's bed, and the sandals clattered on the ground underneath it._

"_A fine choice, Princess Zena."_

"_I couldn't have done it without your help. This is a big moment. I want it to be perfect."_

"_Of course."_

"_But…I'm still worried." Zena looked away and at the ground, her face both sad and serious._

"_Princess Zena?"_

"_Ryuki had a Premonition Dream two days ago."_

"_He did?" Dixie gasped, wide eyed._

"_Nn. It was vague, as it always is, but that only makes it all the more serious."_

"_What did he see?" Dixie dared to ask._

"_Fire and ice."_

"_Oh, no." Dixie said quietly. "You don't think anything bad is going to happen do you?"_

"_I don't know. Ryuki doesn't know what it means, either." Zena's hand reached up to fiddle with the ribbon on her shirt. "I wonder what's going to happen."_

"_It will be fine. I promise you. After all, you are about to tell Ryuki how you really feel tonight. Besides, the future can always be changed."_

"_I guess…" Zena said with a smile, although she was still uncertain. "I mean, what's the worst that can happen?"_

…

"!" Dixie's eyes snapped open with a gasp. She promptly sat up and looked at her surroundings. Everywhere she looked, she saw fire.

_That's right…_Dixie thought, remembering what happened. _The human was blinded and shot those cylinders at the back of the room. This fire is huge. Almost as big as that day…Never mind that. I have to get out of here._ Dixie shook her head to get rid of the memories, starting to pick herself up.

_Crack!_

"What?" Dixie looked up at the ceiling, and her eyes widened. There was a flaming wooden beam hanging loose. Dixie suddenly saw before her the same castle she had worked in, only it was full of fire and the sounds of people screaming. But, amongst the crowd, she saw one person, who was being hurriedly escorted down a corridor by many people ahead of her. It was Zena. Dixie had cried for help. Zena started to turn around…and everything went black. To Dixie, that was the betrayal that made her who she was today. But, she shoved aside her hatred for now. She was too busy staring at the wooden beam about to collapse on top of her. There was the sound of slinters snapping, before the wooden beam snapped and began to fall. Dixie covered her head, bracing herself for the worst. She heard the beam hit something. But, she was in no pain. She looked up, and gasped. Before her was the very girl she had loved and respected.

"Princess…Zena?" Dixie whispered. But, Zena disappeared. Replacing her was her lookalike. Ren Conner. She had her teeth clenched as the wooden beam was squarely on her back, burning her blouse and almost getting through to her skin. She straightened up, and the beam fell off her back and snapped in two. She shrugged her shoulders back while muttering "ow". Dixie could only stare at her in shock. Ren recovered and smiled at Dixie.

"Are you alright, Pixie?" She asked.

"Why…Why did you save me?" Dixie demanded. "I didn't ask for your help!"

"I'm going to pretend that was a thank you. Now, we need to get out of here."

"We? What do you mean "we"?"

""We" meaning you and me in the same room about to be burnt alive unless we get out of here right now."

"But…But I'm your enemy. Why would you do this?"

"Because a life is still a life. That's why I let Tom escape. I'm not leaving until you and Nathan are safe. Speaking of which, have you seen him?"

"No. He is not in the room." Dixie answered. The spell she had cast on him allowed her to know his location. But, wherever he was, he wasn't in this room.

"Whew!" Ren rubbed the sweat on the brow, both from the fire and from the nerves. "Guess that leaves us two. Come on." Ren outstretched a hand to Dixie, but she refused to take it, standing up by herself. "Oh…kay. All the exits are sealed off, and I don't see any vents, which is just as well. Those things are too cliché. So, I figured I could blast us out through the ceiling." Without warning, Ren did exactly as she said and blasted a hole in the ceiling above them with her Fire Shackles. "Now we'd better hurry. This place is gonna roast us like turkeys!" Ren climbed up onto a metal counter, jumped up and clung to the edge of the hole she made. "Come on, Pixie." Ren looked down at Dixie, who was looking down at the ground. "Pixie?"

"This is precisely why I hate you."

"Eh?" Ren blinked. She let go of the edge, dropping back down onto the counter. "What are you talking about?"

"You say that you will save everybody. That's exactly what Zena said. But, she went back on her word, and so will you. We are enemies. You will save me now, but when we meet again, you will treat me as your enemy."

"Aw, can't this wait?" Ren asked.

"No! This can't wait!" Dixie yelled, looking up at Ren. "You say that you are selfless and that you will never abandon your friends, and yet here you are now, treating me as if I were your friend, when you know full well that we are far from that fact. What if your friends call out to help when your own life is in danger?! You will abandon them! Everybody does! And Zena is no exception! I cried out to her, but she ignored me!"

"Did she?"

"!" Dixie's eyes widened. Ren was looking down at her, a surprisingly serious expression on her face.

"If I truly am like Zena, then she really wouldn't abandon anybody, even if it killed her. I'm trying to save you right now, after all. So, I'll ask you again." Ren narrowed her eyes at Dixie. "Did she?"

"But…But…" Dixie stammered, remembering Zena once again as she looked over her shoulder before everything went black. Zena abandoned her. She knows it. She had lost consciousness. She had woken up in front of the symbol of White Raven. Nothing else came before she woke up. Zena must have abandoned her.

"Forget about that for now. Just come on." Ren offered Dixie her hand again. "Some people may abandon others…" Ren smiled her smile at Dixie. "But I won't. And I never will."

"…" Still pondering what Ren said, Dixie finally took Ren's hand, and climbed on top of the counter. Both of them jumped up to the ledge and climbed through the hole. The corridor before them was also on fire, but it wasn't as bad as in the kitchen. In fact, there were slivers of daylight among the fire. But, that didn't stop them from running down the corridor, looking for a way out with Ren leading the way.

"There's a trap door this way." Ren explained while she ran. "We can get up on the roof then."

"Right." Dixie and Ren ran around the corner. The building continued to burn behind them, and one person calmly followed Ren and Dixie, walking through the fire as if nothing was happening. That person was Nathan, and in his hand was a giant cleaver that gleamed in the light of the fire while the gun was safely tucked away in his jacket pocket. He followed the two girls, the green glow in his eyes flashing, yet it was even brighter than before.

…

"They've been in there for too long." Tom said. "The fire's just getting bigger."

"At this rate, nobody is getting out." Steph whispered, already starting to freak out.

"It's going to be fine." Rukia tried to calm Ren's two closest friends down, but she too couldn't help but get frantic.

"Freaking out isn't going to solve anything. Just look at Captain Hitsugaya." Renji looked towards Toshiro, who was still staring at the fire, almost afraid to look away. But, what was noticeable was that his trademark frown wasn't on his face. Instead, it was an expression of panic that was a borderline towards pure terror.

"And besides, I think I hear the fire engines." Steph said with a smile that was desperately trying to reassure herself. However, she was disappointed when she saw a yellow van go past. It was just an ambulance.

_Clank!_

"What was that?" Rangiku asked.

"I'm not sure. It sounded like…a door." Ichigo looked around for anything that resembled a door and wasn't obscured by fire, or even a person. Hell, he didn't care if it was Dixie, as long as it was somebody.

"Impossible." Renji retorted. "We saw that door get blown up before our eyes.

"It's up there." Rukia pointed at the roof of a much taller school building, at least four stories, with the flat roof surrounded by railings, much like most of the school buildings were, and she could vaguely see a metal trap door that was wide open. She then saw a person climb out, followed by another.

"Are they…" Steph started, smiling; only this smile was more genuine than the last.

"Booyah!"

"!" Toshiro snapped his head away from the fire. He knew that voice. That loud, obnoxious voice.

"It is! It's Ren!" Steph yelled, hugging Tom.

"She's alright! She's alright!"

"Wooooo!" Ren yelled, spinning in circles with her hands above her head, allowing the Fire Shackles to disappear. "Oh, sweet oxygen, how I have missed you! Yeeeaaaa-" Ren stopped cheering for a moment to cough loudly from the smoke she had previously inhaled. "Maybe I said that too soon." She said in a raspy voice.

"Ren!"

"Ren! Are you alright?!"

"Guys?" Ren ran over to the railing on top of the school building and looked down. Right there were Steph and Tom waving and jumping up and down. Behind them were the other Soul Reapers, who all looked relieved. "Guys!" Ren beamed, waving down at them. "I'm fine! No problem!"

"Phew." Rangiku sighed, all signs of panic gone.

"Heh. Don't get us worried like that." Ichigo said with a smile.

"Yeah! Sorry!"

"…" Toshiro said nothing, still staring up at Ren and looking for any signs of an injury. Her shirt was burnt on her back, but the burn on her skin had already healed up. There was a little soot on her face. But, that was Ren. Alive and in one piece. Instantly, all of his panic washed away and he almost sank onto his knees from relief, but he somehow managed to fight it off and remain standing. "Ren…" He whispered, starting to smile. "Ren!" He yelled.

"Eh?" Ren followed the voice, and she finally saw Toshiro. "Hey, Shiro! Hi!" Ren waved down at him. "Sorry for worrying you! I'm not cooked! So take that panic-y look off your face, 'kay?"

"Yeah." Toshiro nodded, still smiling.

"Pixie, you better go down first." Ren said, looking over her shoulder.

"Fine by me." Dixie had already jumped over the railing and landed squarely on her feet, despite the fact they were four storeys off the ground.

"Don't attack her, guys! She's a friend! Sorta!"

"But-"

"Red Pineapple…" Ren said sternly.

"Fine." Renji folded his arms and looked away.

"Come down, Ren! The fire is going to reach the science block soon!" Tom yelled up at Ren.

"Ah." Ren said slowly, an embarrassed look on her face. She had completely forgotten about getting down. Whoops! "I didn't quite think that through."

"You idiot!" Renji yelled.

"Oh, come on! I was trying to rescue two people from a burning building! Speaking of, I can't find Nathan."

"What?" Steph gasped.

"It's true. Ask Pixie." Ren pointed at Dixie. Everybody turned to look at her.

"She's telling the truth. I can keep track of where he is due to the spell I cast on him. However, I don't know where he is right now. He could be in there. He could be dead. I really don't know."

"Crud. Well, I'm gonna go over this way. The buildings are lower." Ren walked off to her left.

"But that's where the fire is." Tom protested.

"Yeah, but I can't think of anything else right now." Ren said, climbing over the railing separating the science block from the main building. Ren looked over the edge at her friends again. "Just hang tight. I'll be down in a sec."

"Be careful, alright?" Toshiro said. But, something caught his eye. A shadow was emerging from behind Ren. A shadow with a very menacing looking cleaver in their hands, getting poised to attack.

"Something up, Shiro?" Ren asked, noticing the look on Toshiro's face and obviously not noticing the presence of the shadow.

"Ren, behind you!" Toshiro finally yelled.

"Huh?" Ren turned around. Right behind her was Nathan, and his eyes flashed green just before he swung the cleaver down. "Nya!" Ren clasped the railing and leapt over it and away from Nathan, just as the railing by where she just stood got dented. Ren landed on her feet and walked backwards from the railing as Nathan also leapt over it. He remained where he was, the cleaver ready to hack.

"This is bad." Steph whispered. "They're back at the science block."

"Wait a minute…" Ren looked at her surroundings. There was a trap door on the building she had stood on moments ago, hanging wide open so that more smoke could come out.

_That explains why Nathan is here. But…_ Ren looked around again. Then she saw the same trap door she and Dixie had escaped through. The one that led from the science block. Ren faced forward again to look at Nathan. But, she was more drawn to the thick, black smoke that was starting to come out of one of the windows in a chemistry classroom. Then she realised exactly what Steph had just said while out of her ear shot.

"Wuh oh."

BOOM!

"NYAAAA!" Ren yelled, staggering back. Another explosion had rocked the building, but this time, it was so great, it made Ren loose her balance and hit the railing, where the shaking of the building made her fall back. "Ah!" Quickly, Ren grabbed onto the edge of the building, saving her own life, but barely.

"Ren!" Toshiro's panic had now returned after seeing Ren almost fall. That, and the fact that Nathan had a massive cleaver, made him even more worried than he was before.

"Phew. "Ren sighed, relieved. But, her vision went dark, and when she looked up, she saw Nathan standing over her, his eyes glowing green. "Um…hello." She said with a smile.

"Hey! You cast the spell! Make it go away!" Ichigo demanded.

"I can't."

"You mean you won't!" Renji snapped.

"No. I mean I can't. I only brought out Nathan's hatred for Ren. But, right now, it is so great, I can't break it." Throughout the explanation, Dixie was expressionless, since she didn't care either way whether Ren lived or died, or even if the human she had controlled was going to make it out of this alive.

"Does that mean I'm boned?" Ren asked, overhearing what Dixie said.

"Yeah."

"Dang it." Ren looked back up at Nathan, then at the cleaver, where it gleamed in the sunlight. Ren will be damned if she was going to let anybody kill her today. Besides, the new Simpsons episode was being broadcasted tonight! "Now, I know what you're thinking. "Should I let her fall?" Right now, that spell is making you think "Hell yeah, I'm gonna kill her.", but if you look deep into your conscious…" Ren trailed off as Nathan raised the cleaver back again, ready to strike. "Dah! He doesn't have a Jiminy Cricket!" Quickly, Ren swung her legs up and clung to the railing after letting go, just as Nathan's cleaver hit where her head would have been. She crawled through the railing and ran to the centre of the building. Luckily for her, the school had flat roofs, so this made things a little bit easier.

"That was close." Ichigo sighed, voicing what everybody thought.

"Nathan, I know you have a grudge of some sort against me, but can't we settle this later? The school is kinda on fire here. I think you might have noticed. I mean, you caused it and all." Nathan's response was charging towards Ren. "Nya!" Ren dodged the swing and carried on backing away as Nathan kept charging and attacking her. "The word "apology" can mean-wah!" Ren dodged. "I'm sure we can be-" Ren jumped back from another blow. "Can't we hug it out?!"

"What do we do?" Tom asked the Soul Reapers.

"Leave it up to Ren, I guess." Was Ichigo's answer.

"That's all we can do." Steph said quietly, her feeling of helplessness sinking in.

"…" Toshiro stared up at Ren, wishing that he knew how to bring out Ryuki's wings. But he didn't, so he was stuck down here, where all he can do is watch. Once again, Toshiro felt ashamed of his helplessness. How much longer can he keep this up?

"Ah, geez. Oh, boy." Ren muttered when her back hit the railing again. She looked at Nathan, who was just in front of her, ready to strike. Quickly, she did the first thing she thought of. "Look, a distraction!" She yelled, pointing behind Nathan. Nathan looked. "Wow that actually worked. I-I mean AHA!" Ren triumphantly snatched the cleaver from Nathan's hand and backed away, pointing it at him with a smile on her face. "NOW who's the vulnerable one?" Nathan gave no response. Instead, he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the handgun, pointing it at Ren. Her smile faded. "I guess that's me again."

"A gun?!" Steph clung to Tom.

"What's he doing with a gun?!" Ichigo exclaimed.

"Who cares?! It's pointing at Ren!" Rukia yelled in response.

"Nathan! Don't shoot! If you do, you'll regret it for the rest of your life." Ren said, trying to reason with him. Nathan said nothing. "Violence never gives you true satisfaction. It's only temporary. I should know." Nathan cocked the hammer back, ready to fire. "Um, okay. You're gonna kill me for reasons I and probably you don't understand." Nathan's finger went to the trigger. "I know you might hate me but…I don't hate you!" Ren blurted out in her fear, closing her eyes and bracing herself for what was to come.

BLAM!

"Ren!" Toshiro and Tom yelled at the same time. Steph suppressed a gasp behind her hands, and the rest of the Soul Reapers looked on in shock, while Dixie looked on, neither shocked nor scared. Ren expected to feel some kind of pain on her body, but instead, she felt nothing. She opened her eyes, half wondering if she was still alive, while the other half was convinced she was dead. She felt her stomach and chest with her free hand, searching for any signs of an injury. Nothing. That's when she saw the smoking bullet hole on the ground, safely next to her feet.

"Nathan…" Ren looked back at Nathan. The gun was still smoking a little, and his hair hid his eyes.

"He…He missed?" Rangiku said slowly.

_What's going on?_ Dixie thought, puzzled. _The spell. It's…fading._

"Well…I'm glad you didn't kill me." Ren said with a nod, not quite sure what happened, but whatever it was, it let her live.

"That's why I can't stand you." Nathan said, lowering his gun.

"I feel a déjà vu coming on." Ren muttered.

"Why do you have to be so damn nice? Why are you always so happy?" Nathan looked up, directly at a puzzled Ren. "No matter what I throw at you, no matter what anyone throws at you, you never break! I hate it! Nobody can take on all of that and move forward! Nobody should be able to move forward! And yet, you always defy me! Defy Katelyn! Defy everybody! It's just so humiliating!" Nathan pointed the gun at Ren again, his eyes very briefly flashing green. "That's why I need to shoot you!"

"…" Ren closed her eyes for a moment, thinking things over. "Fine."

"Huh?" Ren dropped the hatchet onto the ground. She looked up at Nathan, and he was surprised to see that her bright eyes were narrow, and her smile was gone. It was a look of pure determination. "If killing me will satisfy you, then go ahead." Ren outstretched her arms, the palms open. She was completely exposed. "Fire away."

"What's she up to?" Rukia said, confused.

_Ren…_Toshiro thought. _I hope you know what you're doing._

"Fine. I will. I will!" Nathan cocked the hammer of the gun back again, ready to shoot. But, seeing the defiant look in Ren's eyes made him stop.

"What are you waiting for?" Ren asked calmly. "This is what you want, isn't it? You despise me, perhaps hate me. You want to be rid of the one who has made you feel these emotions all this time. Your frustration. Your pride. Your honour. If you pull that trigger, you can leave with all of those problems remedied. But, for what? A reputation as a murderer? Tell me, Nathan. Is it really worth it?"

"Shut up!" Nathan snapped, but the hand holding the gun started to shake.

"Listen to me. I offer you two choices. You can shoot me until your heart is content and be on your merry way to continue your life, the label of "murderer" forever on your shoulders. Or, you can drop the gun, and we can live on. Perhaps you will discard your old ways. Perhaps you won't. That is up to you. But, I wonder…Can you really torment more innocent people, when one such person died by your hands? Is that really the best way to solve your problems?"

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Nathan yelled, shaking his head.

"Make your choice, Nathan."

"Don't tell me what to do! You have no right! You're always in my way! I'll kill you! I…I…" Nathan was about to pull the trigger, but instead, his arm hung limply by his side. "I wish I was you."

"…" Ren lowered her arms a little, astonished.

"I've never seen Ren like this." Steph said in amazement.

"I guess she really does have a serious side." Renji said, matter-of-factly.

"Wow! I didn't see that coming!" Ren exclaimed, rubbing the back of her head with a grin on her face.

"Aaaaaand, now it's gone." Renji sweat dropped.

"I hate you…and yet…I can't help but admire you. You have been through so much. And you never hold a grudge against people who make you suffer. You're so positive. I don't get it. No matter what I do, you always stay the same. I just don't get it."

"Nathan…I don't quite get what you're saying." Ren said, still a little puzzled. Nathan said nothing, remembering when he met Dixie.

Flashback

"_My name is Dixie, handsome. And I think you and I can help each other out."_

"_How?" Nathan asked, curious._

"_Well, she is always in our way, right?"_

"_Yeah?"_

"_So, let's fix that."_

"_Wh…What do you mean?" Nathan was starting to get very worried, especially when Dixie's smile became very menacing._

"_Your father has a gun, doesn't he?"_

"_Yeah, but…" Nathan interrupted himself, the pieces slowly coming together. "Wait, you…" Nathan took a few steps back from Dixie. "Don't tell me…"_

"_Yes. We will destroy the road block once and for all. And this time, she won't return."_

"_Wait a second! You want me…us…you…"_

"_To kill Ren Conner." Dixie said, her smile becoming much more menacing. So menacing, that it almost scared Nathan._

"_Forget it!" Nathan snapped. "I can't stand Ren, but I don't hate her like you do! Hell, I don't even know who you are!" Dixie's smile turned into a narrow eyed frown._

"_Let me ask you something, Nathan. Do you truly hate Ren?"_

"…" _Nathan hesitated, pondering that question. "I…Yes. No. Rrrr...I don't know!"_

"_It sounds to me like you respect her more than hate her. If anything…"_

"_!" Nathan's eyes widened. Dixie was in front of him in an instant, prompting him to back away again with a yell._

"_You almost like her."_

"_No, I…" Dixie interrupted by placing her finger on his mouth, silencing him. She smiled, and Nathan wasn't sure if it was kind or sinister. Whatever it was, he didn't like it._

"_Don't worry. I'm here to help. Your hatred…" Dixie looked directly into Nathan's brown eyes. "I will unleash it." Nathan's eyes turned into a light shade of green. Nathan felt his reasoning gradually fade away, yet he could do nothing to fight against it._

_Sorry, Ren. Nathan thought, as he sensed the last of who he was disappear into the darkness. I guess I…But, before he could finish that thought, the green in his eyes disappeared, and he now wore an expression of a soulless shell._

"_Good." Dixie said, smiling._

…

"I guess I…" Nathan started, finally remembering that thought.

"?" Ren walked a few steps closer to Nathan, curious.

"I mean…I spent so long trying to break you, I didn't know if I truly hated you or not. I guess I…" Nathan clenched the gun still in his hand. "I guess I admired you more than hated you." Nathan smiled a sad smile at Ren. "I really am a big idiot."

"No."

"Eh?" Nathan blinked, surprised.

"You're not an idiot. You were just confused. Everybody gets confused at some point. Hell, I do and all." Ren smiled her happy smile at Nathan for what felt like the first time for both of them. "But, it's confusion that helps us to grow. If you acknowledge your doubts, then you're that much closer to solving them. I guess you're starting to solve them now, so you've already started to grow."

"…" Nathan was silent, stunned. "Ren…"

_The spell…_ Dixie thought, wide eyed. _It's gone. It's completely vanished! How is this possible?_

"You'd better get rid of the gun." Ren said, pointing at the revolver in Nathan's hand. "We can't have you spending your days in the slammer."

"Oh! Right!" Nathan quickly pocketed it, much to Ren's confusion.

"I meant throw it away, but I guess that'll do."

"It's my dad's. He's an overseas weapons dealer, remember?"

"Oh, yeah!" Ren exclaimed, tapping her fist on her palm. "That makes sense!"

"So, now what?" Nathan asked, not sure what exactly was going to happen now that Ren knew how he felt.

"I guess we'd better find a way off this building." Ren answered, obviously misunderstanding.

"That wasn't what I meant." Nathan muttered, sweat dropping.

"Well…If you want to, we can start again."

"Start again?" Nathan repeated. Ren walked a few steps closer to Nathan, and stopped when they were only a few metres apart. Ren outstretched a hand to Nathan. "Hi. My name is Ren Conner. What's your name?"

"Are you stupid?" Nathan nearly exclaimed. "There's no way I can start again! Not after what I've done! Not after the people I've hurt! They'll never forgive me!"

"…" Ren only responded by smiling her usual smile at Nathan again. And that was all it took to reassure him. Before, he was so full of hatred and confusion, he lashed out at Ren and everybody she cared about just to make her tick. But, after what just happened, all of his hatred had suddenly vanished. It was like a huge burden had been lifted off his shoulders. He still wasn't sure if anybody would forgive him for what he had done, but as he reached towards Ren's hand, he knew that things would work out.

BOOM!

"Huh?" Nathan felt the ground underneath him crumble. The edge of the school building he was standing on was cracking around the edges, but under his weight, it collapsed, and Nathan started to fall. His face wasn't full of fear, and he didn't scream. He was just stunned.

"Nathan!"

"!" Just like that, Nathan felt himself stop falling. He looked down. The small section of the building fell onto the ground and smashed into pieces, exposing a burning classroom in front of him. He looked up at Ren. She was lying flat on the roof, her hand gripping onto his wrist. But, despite his weight, she seemed to be holding onto him with little to no difficulty.

"I'll ask you again." Ren said, smiling. "What's your name?"

"Heh." Nathan smiled, but it was no longer his sneering smirk. It was a genuine smile as he looked up at his brighter future. "My name…" Nathan reached his other hand up and clasped Ren's arm. "Is Nathan Harris."

"There we go!" Ren said brightly. Right after she said this, she pulled Nathan up until his hands could hit the edge, and he climbed himself back up onto his feet.

"I guess they're both okay now." Tom said, hiding his confusion.

"I'm confused." Rangiku said loudly.

"It doesn't matter, Rangiku." Toshiro finally heard the sound of fire engines, and he saw the flashing red lights around the corner. "It doesn't matter."

…

"I'm telling you, I'm fine." Ren insisted, shrugging away a fireman's hand. "It's my friends you need to take care of." While Ren was trying to deter the fireman, Dixie, Nathan and Tom were being examined by other firemen, while the final remnants of the fire were being extinguished by their giant hoses.

"They are all fine. Just some minor smoke inhalation. They may have a cough for a couple days, but it's not serious."

"Great. Now, if you'll excuse me." Ren began to walk away.

"Wait!"

"Look at the back, mister. I'm fine." Ren pointed at the hole through her blouse, where there was no injury. The fireman was completely astonished. With a smile, Ren ducked under the barrier and walked around the corner of the building, where her friends were waiting. "The other three will be back shortly."

"Honestly…" Renji sighed, folding his arms with a smirk.

"You really know how to bring the suspense, don't you?" Steph said with a smile.

"Blame television." Ren said cheerfully. "But, the fire's out now, so it all works out. I'm all healed up, so there is no permanent damage." At this point, Tom emerged from around the corner, followed by Nathan and a Dixie who was scowling with her arms folded.

"Mr Watson said that the fire damage spread to most of the school. It's going to take more than a week to repair, so it's closed until further notice."

"WOO HOO!" Ren cheered, throwing her arms up in the air. "Half term holiday!" Ren checked the date on her watch. "And just in time for Valentine's Day."

"…" Toshiro said nothing, merely listening to Ren's words.

"Hey, Shiro, why so qui-" Ren stopped with a gasp when Toshiro's next action surprised everybody. He ran forward and, as soon as he got to Ren, hugged her.

"…" Renji, Rangiku and Ichigo all simultaneously went open mouthed, and while Rukia kept her dignity, she was still just as shocked as they were. What was going on with their cold-as-ice captain?

"Sh-Shiro?" Ren stammered, her cheeks turning pink. "Wh-Wh-What are you doing?"

"Nothing. I…" Toshiro pulled away, looking surprised himself that he would act like that. He let go of Ren, glancing in different directions out of embarrassment. "I just wanted to make sure you were all there."

"Shiro…Were you really that scared?"

"What? No!" Toshiro insisted. "I wasn't scared!" Toshiro looked away huffily. "You're always putting yourself in dangerous situations and you turned out fine each time, so why should this be any different? I knew you'd be okay! I wasn't scared!" Toshiro realised that his hands were shaking, so he clenched them into fists, but they still trembled. "I wasn't scared…"

"…" Ren smiled softly. She reached down and gently held Toshiro left hand with both of hers. Toshiro looked up at Ren's face, knowing full well that he could not lie to Ren.

"It's okay, Shiro. You don't have to lie. I'm sorry, okay?"

"…" Toshiro tried and failed to wear his trademark expression. Instead, he looked away again, trying to hide the blush on his cheeks. "Idiot. You shouldn't apologise."

"Well, I just did." Ren started to let go of Toshiro's hand, but stopped herself. She had just noticed the cuts on his palm. "Ah! What happened to your hand?!" She exclaimed.

"Huh?" Toshiro took his hand away from Ren's and looked at it, before proceeding to look at the other one. Both of them were covered with fresh cuts and blood stains. "When did this happen?!"

"That's what I said!"

"I think our captain is going nuts." Renji whispered to Rangiku.

"I think you're right."

"Hey."

"Eh?" Ren stopped worrying over Toshiro for a moment and looked at Dixie, who had finally spoken up.

"You're the one who took control of Nathan aren't you?" Steph asked, her eyes getting narrow.

"Yeah. It's your fault this school blew up!"

"Oh, please. You were the one holding the gun." Dixie scoffed.

"Enough of the blame game. Let's whoop her butt!" Ichigo declared.

"Way ahead of ya." Renji was already cracking his knuckles. But, Ren raised an arm in front of them. "Ren?"

"What is it that you want to say?" Ren said patiently.

"Ren, you truly did outwit my plan, even when all hope was lost. I hate to say this, and I really hate to say this, but…you win." Right after Dixie said this, she saw a small glowing just underneath her line of sight. She looked down and gasped. Her belt buckle was glowing white.

"What's happening?" Rukia gasped, wide eyed.

"It's just like Ryuki said." Steph said. "Dixie's been defeated three times, so now she's going back."

"Back where?" Renji asked.

"To Cielvia." Toshiro answered.

"No!" Dixie yelled as the glowing began to get brighter and brighter. Suddenly, Ren was right in front of Dixie, and before anybody could react, she grabbed the White Raven symbol and yanked it away from Dixie, ripping it from the belt. With all of her strength, Ren threw it away from her, just as the glowing grew brighter and disappeared, taking the symbol with it. Ren sighed. Everybody looked at Ren, astonished. Nathan, meanwhile, rubbed his eyes and looked at where Ren threw the crest.

"Um…what just happened?" He asked nobody.

"Not now, Nathan." Tom said dismissively.

"Ren…why?" Toshiro asked, completely stunned.

"Well, Pixie said "no", didn't she? I figured she didn't want to go back, and it's the symbol that makes them go back, so I just grabbed it and threw it away."

"But she's the-"

"Enemy?" Ren finished for Rukia. "I know. But, she didn't want to go. I let her stay. Pure and simple."

"It's like I said." Steph folded her arms with a smile. "Ren is as Ren does. Friend or enemy, she'll always help them."

"That's stupid." Renji said bluntly.

"Oi." Ren muttered. Dixie, meanwhile, was silent. After that symbol was removed, she felt something coursing through her. This something grew bigger and bigger until it overtook her mind and spirit. The only evidence of this was how her irises went an even brighter green than before, but nobody noticed.

_What's going on?_ Dixie thought. _I feel like…I'm seeing something._

Flashback

"_All Cielvians to Failsafe Shift. Proceed to your positions. This is not a drill. I repeat…" The warning said over the sound of screaming and fire. The originally beautiful walls of the castle hallways were now stained with the orange and red of fire, and the cracks of damage. Outside, everybody could hear the sound of swords clashing, of weapons being fired, of explosions, and the roars of some unidentified monsters, whether they were of threatening nature or of pain. All of the Royal Guard was fighting. And yet, here, in the castle, many people in the castle were running and panicking yet trying to go to their designated area, whether they were servants, Cielvians or the like. Dixie was among them, but in the panic, she got knocked off her feet, where she tripped and fell. Before she knew it, everybody in her group was gone. Dixie was alone. She did not know her position. She was trapped. Was this it? Was she going to die?_

"_This way, Your Highness!"_

"_!" Dixie's eyes widened, and she saw several people wearing the royal white and blue and leading a girl with long blonde hair hurriedly down the corridor. Their backs were turned, but Dixie would recognise that blonde hair anywhere._

"_Princess Zena!" She cried out. Zena looked over her shoulder, and as soon as she saw Dixie, she gasped._

"_Dixie!" Zena ran through the escorts and straight to Dixie. Ignoring the protests of the escorts, she went straight to her friend and kneeled in front of her. Dixie noticed how Zena was wearing the very outfit they picked out together. And right after she promised the princess nothing bad would happen tonight. Dixie couldn't help but feel sad that she unintentionally told a lie. "Dixie. Are you okay?"_

"_No!" Dixie shook her head. "I lost my group! I don't know where I'm supposed to go!"_

"_Shhh. It's okay. Which number is it?"_

"_Number 17."_

"_Go straight down that corridor, left, first right and down the hall. All the doors are numbered, and they're all odd. You got that?"_

"_Straight down. Left. First right. Corridor with numbered doors." Dixie repeated, trying to keep calm._

"_Alright. Now go."_

"_Aren't you coming?" Dixie asked. Zena shook her head._

"_The royal family have their own position. I can't go with you. Now go on, before they execute the Failsafe."_

"_Right." Dixie climbed back onto her feet, and ran off to her left, but before she went around the corner, she turned back around and smiled at Zena. "I knew you wouldn't abandon me!"_

"_Never!" Zena yelled back, standing up with a smile. Dixie, hearing this, began to run to her left, remembering the instructions Zena gave her while feeling reassured that she was going to be safe. But, that didn't stop her from hearing Zena's final words. "Even if we're strangers in another world, I will never abandon you! That's a promise, you hear me?!"_

…

"_!" Dixie's eyes snapped open. She sat up on the cold ground. She was in a spotlight, and in front of her was a strange symbol of a white bird with its head turned to its left, and the tips of its wings forming a circle. She knew that symbol, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it…_

"_Where am I? How did I get here?" Dixie wondered._

"_Perhaps I can answer that."_

"_!" Dixie gasped. The symbol was replaced by a purple sphere that had bubbles rising to the surface, but what really stood out was the silhouette of a woman floating inside it. "Who are you?"_

"_Me? I am somebody who can make you powerful."_

"_Powerful?" Dixie repeated slowly, standing up._

"_Yes. Listen, Dixie. I know you have untapped potential within you. You do carry the blood of the Cielvians, after all. You have their powers, yet you do not have a single Elemental Shackle. I can make those powers stronger. All you have to do is pledge your loyalty to me."_

"_Loyalty to what?" Dixie asked._

"_White Raven."_

"_White Raven…" Dixie said quietly. She gasped. That name. That symbol. They were the people who attacked Cielvia! "Never!" Dixie yelled defiantly. "I will never join a society such as yours, after you destroyed my home world!"_

"_Oh, I assure you, child, that Cielvia is very much in one piece. However, we cannot go inside. All we can do is bring out Cielvians such as you and unlock their potential so that they may fight for us."_

"_I will never join you!" Dixie yelled. "Now, send me back!"_

"_I'm afraid I can't do that so easily. If you wish to go home, then you will suffer a horrible fate. But, if that is truly what you want, then you must serve your purpose here in White Raven, and once my use of you has disappeared, so will you. So, Dixie, do you still wish to return to your abandoned home world?"_

"…" _Dixie looked at the ground. "No…But…But it's better than staying here!"_

"_You don't really have a choice." Suddenly, there appeared two eyes where the silhouettes face would be. However, they were an eerie blood red colour that scared Dixie. She wanted to look away, yet some unnatural force compelled her to look. "Your admiration and love for Zena is great, but I must make a few…adjustments." Dixie's eyes went a brighter green. In the next few moments, Zena felt cold. It felt as though a dark curtain was covering her heart and mind, and she felt her darkest emotions come to surface._

_No! Dixie thought, as she saw memories of her and Zena flash by. No! She saw the moment when Zena was about to look over her shoulder before saving her, but instead, it went black. That moment when she saved her had disappeared, like it has never happened. NO! The last thing to disappear was Zena's last words to her. Dixie blinked, and a scowl appeared on her face._

"_Now, tell me, Dixie, how do you feel?" The silhouette asked, closing her eyes._

"_Pretty good." Dixie answered, her voice full of confidence._

"_And what of Zena?"_

"_Zena?!" Dixie spat on the ground. "Don't even say her name! Urgh, why am I still in this trashy outfit?!" Dixie plucked at the skirt of her maid's uniform. Before, she would have felt honoured to serve the royal family, but now, she was disgusted just to look at it, after one such member of the family willingly abandoned her. "Get it off me!"_

"_Excellent."_

…

"Pixie! Yoo hoooooooo!" Ren said loudly, snapping her fingers in front of Dixie's face.

"!" Dixie returned to the real world with a gasp. At the same time, the glowing in her eyes disappeared. But Ren, who was inches away from her face, didn't seem to notice.

"Are you alright?" Ren asked.

"I'm fine." Dixie said dismissively, looking away from Ren. "I just spaced out."

"Well, that's okay. I do that, too. A lot."

_What is this?_ Dixie thought. _All of a sudden, my hatred just…disappeared._ She looked down at her torn belt, where the belt buckle that used to be the White Raven symbol had vanished. _As soon as that symbol was thrown away, all of my anger vanished. Was it that spell the mistress cast on me?_

"Why?" Dixie said quietly. "Why did you save me?"

"Not this again." Ren rolled her eyes, but she still smiled. "I told you, didn't I? I never abandon anyone."

"Okay, what the hell is happening here?!" Nathan exclaimed.

"Uhhh…" Ren looked away, trying to think of an explanation. "Shiro, help." Ren said urgently.

"Don't pin this on me!"

"Well how am I going to explain it?!"

"Like I'd know!"

"Alright, look, Nathan. If I told you the long story, then your head would explode. Either that, or you will think I'm a big weirdo."

"He already thinks you are."

"What did you say, Red Pineapple?!"

"…" Dixie still remained silent throughout, thinking about what Ren said.

"_Some people may abandon others…But I won't. And I never will."_

_My memories were altered. Zena truly did save me. I was angry over nothing. _Dixie glanced up at Ren, who was now arguing with Renji, with Rukia trying and failing to calm both sides down. _And yet, the enemy still saved me. Me, a person who has tried to kill her. Why?_

"_Even if we're strangers in another world, I will never abandon you! That's a promise, you hear me!?"_

"…" Dixie smiled to herself, suddenly understanding.

_I see. Even now, you're keeping your promise. You really are incredible, Princess Zena._

"Hn?" Ren, setting aside her argument with Renji aside for now, turned back around to face Dixie. She, along with everybody else, was confused by the smile on her face. "Pixie?"

_One more…_Dixie thought, looking up with a focused expression on her face. _I need to give her one more test._

"I have a proposition for you."

"I'm listening."

"I have noticed that you have an astounding regenerative ability. No matter how lethal the damage is, your regeneration rate heals all wounds. It is truly superior to any other Cielvians."

"Yeah, I have noticed that." Ren said, looking behind her at her back. Nathan, meanwhile, decided to say nothing. All this talk about Cielvians and regeneration was starting to sound like a plot from a movie to him.

"I want to make an offer to you. I can use that regenerative energy to grant you an even greater power." Dixie narrowed her eyes. "The power to heal."

"Heal?" Ren said, wide eyed.

"Yes. With your power, your healing powers could be the greatest yet. You can cure the most lethal poison, regrow lost limbs that are long gone, seal the deepest of wounds and, if you really wanted to, bring the dead back to life. With this healing skill, you can restore what has been lost."

"Whoa…" Tom said slowly.

"However, with great power comes a great price. In exchange for this, you will lose your regeneration. It will still be there, but it will be much, much weaker. Any lethal injuries dealt to you could very well kill you. So, Ren Conner, what will it be? Save yourself, or save your friends?"

_Now, show me._ Dixie thought, staring at Ren's thoughtful expression. _Show me the extent of your selflessness._

"…" The Soul Reapers and the humans said nothing, waiting for Ren's answer. But, the silence didn't last long, as Ren clapped her hands together with a smile.

"Sugeeeee, that's so generous of you, Pixie!" Ren exclaimed. "So, can you do it right away?"

"!" Everybody stared at Ren, wide eyed at how she made a potentially dangerous decision so quickly.

"?" Nathan was the only one who looked confused. He'll be damned if he didn't get any answers!

_Without a moment's hesitation…_Dixie thought.

"I really mean it. Arigato gozaimasu!" Ren bowed to Dixie, and when he straightened up, she was wearing her usual smile.

"That was her answer, too."

"Huh?" Ren cocked her head to the side, her same blank expression on her face. "Her who?"

"Princess Zena was given the same offer. She, too, accepted right away. A truly selfless person."

"Really?" Ren blinked. "That's pretty awesome, I guess. I suppose I'm more similar to her than I thought!" Ren gave a little laugh after this. Dixie raised a hand up to Ren's chest, and Ren couldn't help but look down at it. It was only inches from her body, and in Dixie's palm was a glowing white orb.

"What the hell is that?" Nathan asked.

"Later, Nathan." Tom sighed, getting frustrated.

"She lives on after all." Dixie said with a smile. The glowing orb grew even brighter as it touched Ren's body. It was so bright, that everybody besides Ren and Dixie had to shield their eyes. The glowing ball sank inside of Ren's body, and the glowing went with it until it was gone. Dixie lowered her hand. Ren blinked a couple of times before feeling her chest, where the orb had just entered.

"Ren? How do you feel?" Toshiro asked.

"I don't really feel any different." Ren answered, raising her eyebrows. She turned around to face her friends. "What do you think?"

"You don't have any obvious changes." Ichigo said.

"Yeah, you still look like a moron."

"Shut it, Red Pineapple."

"I know. Why don't you try healing Toshiro?" Tom suggested.

"That's right!" Rangiku snapped her fingers with a beam. "He got his hands all cut up! Ren can heal them!"

"I can?" Ren blinked. "Well, I dunno. I only just got the power to do that." She then saw the cut up left hand that belonged to Toshiro. "Shiro?" She looked up at Toshiro, who smiled at her.

"It's alright. I trust you."

"Well…Okay." Ren said slowly. "If you say so, Shiro." Ren took Toshiro's other hand and clasped both of them in her own. Ren still looked hesitant and nervous, but Toshiro was as serious as ever, confident that Ren would be able to do it. "Alright…Here goes…" Seconds after Ren said this, a translucent white glow covered Ren's hands, and little specks of light appeared around Toshiro's hands. "Oooo…" Ren stared in amazement at this light, as did everybody else. Even Dixie had to take a look at this new ability of Ren's. Then, the light disappeared, along with the miniature stars. "Um…I guess it's done." Ren let go of Toshiro's hands. Toshiro looked at the palms, and he couldn't hide his amazement. They were completely injury free. No scars. No signs of infection. Not even a speck of blood.

"Amazing…" Steph breathed.

"It's almost like the healing kido of squad four." Rukia noted.

"It's as I thought." Dixie said, catching everybody's attention. "Ren's healing ability is truly incredible. Now, you need not fear getting injured in battle."

"Sweet." Ren said, looking at her hand in thought.

"Sure, great, now can somebody PLEASE tell me what the hell is going on?!" Nathan exclaimed.

"Well, um…What do you want to know?" Tom asked.

"What do I want to know?! I was controlled by some kinda hocus pocus, then there's this whole talk about this world called Server or whatever the hell its name is, and now Ren is supposed to have powers?!"

"It's a kind of long story…" Steph said with a nervous smile.

"Damn right! I'm starting to think something happened to me that got me in a delusional coma! If that's the case, then wake me up now!"

_He's over reacting._ Everybody, minus Nathan and Ren, thought, sweat dropping.

"…" Ren said nothing, looking at her hand. "Restore what is lost, huh?" Ren muttered. She then felt a light bulb moment come to mind. "Hmmm…"She smiled. "Say…" She started, looking up at the Soul Reapers. "Can I try something?"

**Well, there you go! Ren is okay, Nathan is okay, Dixie is okay, everybody is okay! So, what is Ren's plan? And what will happen to Dixie now that her ties to White Raven are gone? Speaking of, what about the other members, including the mysterious Epona? Stick around to find out, only here on .**


	20. Detective Shiro

**I know I said this before, but I HATE exams! But, at least I don't have any more lectures, so that means more free time! In between studying of course. Heh heh. Then again, the weather is getting pretty cold up here in Norway. And apparently, we're gonna have some light snow. For nearly a week. Is that good of bad? Meh. Okay, enough mindlessly type chatting, it's on with the chapter!**

Chapter 18

Detective Shiro

"Uuuu…" Ren groaned, literally dragging her feet as she slowly walked into her study, dropped her bag by her sofa and collapsed face first on it. "I. Am. Knackered." Silence. Toshiro peered around the door frame, feeling a little uneasy about how still she was lying. He slowly edged himself towards Ren, looking down at the back of her head.

"Oi…You still alive?" Toshiro asked. No response. Frowning, Toshiro shook her shoulder a little. Ren finally responded by grumbling something and waving her arm at Toshiro, prompting him to back away. "Sorry, but you just look so exhausted."

"Yeah, well, I was restoring the powers of your friends, and it took out a little more than I thought." Ren said, turning her head so that she faced Toshiro. "That and the fact I escaped a huge fire and rescued two of my enemies."

"Will you be alright?"

"Yeah, I guess. I just need to stay here for a bit. I'm sure a good night's sleep will make me feel better. Either that, or a huge load of sugar."

"…" Toshiro slowly looked over at the box propped up on the highest shelf. The same box that he knocked over all those week ago, and the same box that contained pretty much everything about Ren.

"Don't even think about it." Ren said briskly, knowing that Toshiro was looking at the box.

"Um…I'll just…leave you alone." Toshiro said, briskly walking out of the study. He had forgotten how grouchy Ren could be when she's tired. Still pondering over this, Toshiro got to his bedroom and shut the door behind him, pulling off his necktie and tossing it on the ground. He won't need that for a while. With a sigh, he collapsed back first on his bed. He felt exhausted, and he wasn't the one in the burning building.

_So, Dixie is no longer associated with White Raven._ Toshiro thought. _I guess she's technically an ally now. Nathan seems to have discarded his old ways, but I'm still going to keep my eye on him. The good news is that Ichigo and the others have their powers back. It'll take a while for them to be back fully, but at least now we have more fighting power. But…_

_Flashback_

"_Wooooow!" Rangiku exclaimed, looking at her hand with a beam._

"_So? How do you feel?" Ren asked brightly with her usual smile._

"_Pretty damn great." Renji responded with a smirk. "I haven't felt this good in years. You've gone good, kid!"_

"_Don't patronise me." Ren muttered with a glare._

"_This is amazing. We can fight." Rukia said, looking at her hands, as though wondering whether the spiritual energy coursing through her right now was real or not._

"_Yeah, but it'll be a while before you can exit your Gigai's." Ren warned. "And it'll take the same amount of time for you to adjust to using your powers here."_

"_How long will that be?" Ichigo asked._

"_I'd say about a week. Or longer. 'Cos I have no clue on how you're gonna get out of those bodies."_

"_I have a solution to that." Dixie, with a swift movement, pulled her torn belt from around her waist, and waved it above her head in an arch shape. It glowed and split into four sections. Each one shrank into a teardrop shape, and when the white glow vanished, above Dixie's head were four Ambers._

"_What're they?" Rangiku asked._

"_These are called Ambers. They release a Cielvians potential by growing their powers. In your case, they can help increase your fighting power until you are back to normal. They can also be used to exit those bodies you inhabit, replacing it with a substitute soul that matches your own."_

"_Neat." Renji said, grabbing one of the Ambers without hesitation. Ichigo, with a shrug, also grabbed an Amber, followed by the two girls. Toshiro said nothing, having heard the same thing once before. His hand automatically went to his pocket, and he squeezed the edges together, as though trying to hide what was already hidden._

"_With these, we can join the fight." Ichigo said, staring at his reflection in the gem._

"_What about Shiro?" Ren asked, pointing at Toshiro._

"_What about him?" Dixie asked rather rudely._

"_I mean, I'm gonna restore his powers now, so how will he be able to fight if her can't exit his gigai without an Amber?"_

_Crap…Toshiro thought, knowing that he was going to be busted for hiding an Amber from them._

"_Let's find out." Ren said, answering her own question. She approached Toshiro, bending her fingers back. "Right. This'll only take a few seconds." A white energy took over Ren's hands like gloves, and she brought them to Toshiro at his chest height, inches away from his body. Almost instantly, the glow went light blue. "What the-" Before Ren could finish, there was a miniature explosion between Toshiro and Ren that sent them flying back several metres._

"_Doink!"_

"_Oof!"_

"_Ren!"_

"_Captain!"_

"_Are you alright?" Tom asked Ren, helping her sit up._

"_I'm fine." Ren said, sitting cross legged. "What about you Shiro?"_

"_Ugh…" Toshiro groaned, rubbing his shoulder while sitting up. "What the hell happened?"_

"_I 'unno." Ren shrugged, bringing her hands up to shoulder height. "For some reason, it won't let me restore your powers."_

"_What? Why?"_

"_I believe I said "I 'unno"."_

"_I have a theory." Dixie spoke up. "It is possible that because of his link to Ryuki, his powers will come back on their own, and with them, Ryuki's own abilities will come, too. We just have to be patient."_

"_Uuuu!" Ren groaned. "I hate being patient! Patience is for wimps!"_

"_It's fine, Ren." Toshiro said with a sigh. He had to wait for his powers? Great._

"_At any rate, I will provide him with an Amber for when he can exit his body. Luckily, I have a spare." Dixie walked up to Toshiro and kneeled down to face him. "Let me help you up." She leaned forward until she was in whispering distance from his ear. "I know you have one." She whispered._

"_How?" Toshiro whispered._

"_Does it matter?" Without warning, Dixie grabbed Toshiro's hand and yanked him off the ground, where he staggered back onto his feet. "There you go. Now you all have what you need." She said in a louder voice._

"_Um…thanks." Toshiro said with hesitation, placing a hand in his pocket. He had to keep up the act that he only just got an Amber._

"_Now, I shall be taking my leave." Dixie turned her back to the gang._

"_What's going to happen to you?" Steph asked._

"_I am not with White Raven anymore. I suppose I am your ally. But don't get me wrong. I do this not for you, but for Zena."_

"_Sure." Ren said with a smile. With a cringe, she realised that she was still on the ground, and hastily picked herself up._

"_See you later." Dixie disappeared in a flash._

"_Great. She's gone. Now can you tell me what's going on?! "Nathan exclaimed, waving his arms up and down._

"_We'll take care of this." Steph said with a smile, already starting to lead Nathan away, along with Tom._

"_Finally!"_

"_Thanks guys." Ren promptly turned to Toshiro. "Sorry about that, Shiro. I thought I could bring your powers back like you wanted, but I guess not."_

"_You don't have anything to be sorry for." Toshiro insisted._

"_Sorry."_

"_Stop apologising."_

"_Sorry?" Ren said with a sheepish grin. Toshiro face palmed, sweat dropping._

"_Never mind."_

"_We've got our powers back! We've got our powers back!" Rangiku sang, dancing in circles while holding hands with a reluctant and confused Rukia._

"_Rangiku, cut it out!" Renji exclaimed, pulling Rukia away from Rangiku._

"_Aaaaaw! You spoil sport. "Rangiku pouted, folding her arms._

"_Don't you try that face with us. "Ren said sternly._

"_You're siding with me?" Renji blinked, stunned._

"_No. Yes. Maybe. Look, I just don't think Rangiku should sulk over every little thing."_

"_I don't sulk!"_

"_Pout, then."_

"…" _Toshiro took this opportunity to slip away. He had to go to Nathan and the others and see if he could help brief them about the situation. If he could just slip by…_

"_Where you going?" Ren asked._

_Damn it! Toshiro cursed in his thoughts, wondering how Ren knows where he's going while her back is turned._

"_I'm going to find your friends." He said flat out._

"_Oh. Okay! "Ren said brightly._

"_How does she do that?" Toshiro muttered to himself, walking away from Ren and towards_ _the corner of the school building, where several fire engines still mingled around._

"_So that's what's going on, huh?"_

"_Yeah."_

"_Does it make sense?"_

"_No, but I'll go along with it."_

"_There they are." Toshiro started to go around the corner, and sure enough, he saw Nathan, Tom and Steph just a few metres away, their backs turned, although he could faintly make out parts of their faces._

"_And one more thing."_

"_Huh?"_

"…" _Toshiro walked back around the corner, listening in. For some reason, this sounded secretive, and something told him that he needed to know this._

"_Remember, the anniversary is coming up."_

"_Already?"_

"_Yeah. March 7th, remember?"_

"_Oh. Right." Toshiro saw how Nathan's face went grave. "For some reason, that day seems to make sense now."_

"_Yeah. That's what I thought." Steph said sadly._

"_I can't believe it's been six years already."_

"_Does Ren's friend know? What's his name? Toshiro?"_

"_I don't think so."_

"_Should we tell him?"_

"_No. He'll only try and interfere. And we don't want that to happen."_

"_I guess not."_

"_Remember Nathan. Not a word to either of them." Tom said sternly._

"_Right." Nathan nodded._

_Them? Toshiro thought. Could they mean Ren and me?_

"_It's at the usual place."_

"_Gotcha."_

"_There you are." Toshiro said, revealing himself after getting fed up with listening._

"_Oh! Toshiro! "Steph gasped, trying and failing to look like they weren't talking about anything._

"_Everyone's waiting for you."_

"_Right. Come on, Steph."_

"_Yeah." Tom and Steph briskly walked past Toshiro, and Toshiro shot them a suspicious glare while they weren't looking. Nathan was just about to walk past him, but Toshiro placed his arm in Nathan's path, preventing him from going anywhere._

"_Eh?"_

"_You may have Ren's trust, but not mine. If you do anything to Ren…" Toshiro looked up into Nathan's eyes, shooting him a fierce stare. "You'll have me to answer to."_

"_Oooo, scary." Nathan said in a teasing tone. "Relax, I'm not interested in that sort of thing anymore."_

"_I'll believe it when I see it." Toshiro lowered his arm, allowing Nathan to pass. But, he could faintly hear Nathan mutter "Weirdo."_

"They're hiding something from me." Toshiro said out loud. "And I am going to find out what. But first…" Toshiro sat up off his bed. "I need to find out more about Ren. She made a few phone calls on the way home. She's got a whole lot going on this week. It's the perfect chance for me to investigate." He stood up and went to the chest of drawers in his room. He opened one such draw and looked at the contents.

_I'll have to go in something she hasn't seen me wear yet; otherwise she'll spot me right away._ Toshiro concluded in his thoughts. _It also has to be something that can cover me if I have to be in her line of sight._ Toshiro reached in and pulled out a cream coloured button-up hoodie. _Perfect!_ He didn't stop there and threw a black shirt behind him, along with a white necktie. Then, he opened up another drawer and got out the white trousers he often wore. Even though he knew Ren might recognise them, he tossed them behind him anyway, along with the hoodie. He didn't know why, but he just liked those trousers. He closed each of the drawers, turned around and surveyed the heap of clothes. _There. Ren won't suspect a thing. But, something's missing._ Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw something hanging on the door of the wardrobe. A maroon blazer with the school crest on one side. The blazer of Ren's school that he never wears, no matter how much Ren insists.

"That'll do." Toshiro said out loud.

"Hey, Shiro, you upstairs?"

"Damn…" Toshiro heard Ren's footsteps up the stairs. Quickly, he kicked the pile of clothes underneath his bed, and they were out of sight just as Ren opened the door.

"Ah, there you are. Listen, I've got some things to do tomorrow. And most of the week. You're welcome to come along if you want."

_If I do, then she'll probably hold something back like she usually does._ Toshiro glanced at the clothes he shoved under his bed. For a moment, he actually considered accepting Ren's invitation.

"I'll pass." Toshiro answered. "I um…I want to look around this village a little more. After all, I'm living in the house of the village head. It would be weird if I didn't know a thing about it."

"Oh! Okay!" Ren said with a smile. She then tossed Toshiro something that jangled, and Toshiro caught it in his hands. He looked at what Ren just threw. It was a key ring with smaller keys on it, along with a larger key. "Those are the spare keys to the main study. We all have a copy, but you can borrow mine. I use it for all my school stuff anyway."

"Thanks." Toshiro clenched the keys in his hand. These will definitely come in handy. But, it seemed to him like Ren knew he needed them. And it was almost as though she was inviting him to investigate. Toshiro quickly shrugged it off. He'll do the investigating much later. He had until March 7th to figure it out, anyway.

The next day, Tuesday, 9am

"I'm off!" Ren yelled up the stairs. No response. "Alright." Ren took a moment to look at herself in the mirror and check her hair. She wore a brown skirt with a blue checked shirt and a white top underneath it. She used her hand to flatten some stray hairs on her head. She gave a nod, picked up her handbag and made her way to the front door. "Mom and Dad won't be home until about six, so that gives me some time." She took out a sheet of paper as she opened the door, slipping on some brown ankle boots. "First stop, Oakworth Primary School. Then I've gotta get a few things for the folks at Woolfield Retirement Home." Ren continued talking as she tossed her handbag on the backseat of her red car and promptly got into the driving seat, starting the engine. "Then it's over to The Edge Youth Centre for a hangout and a performance with the band. God, I hope I'm not called up." Ren drove her car around the corner and out of her drive, ready for her tasks for the day. "But, at least the next few days aren't as tense as today. For starters, there's that movie night with Steph. It's so funny watching her get spooked over horror films! Hee hee hee! The best part? It's Paranormal Activity! Boy, she'll need Mr Pillow that night!"

"…" Meanwhile, in the backseat, Toshiro was hidden away in the shadows of Ren's seat, hiding under a blanket as a precaution. He lifted up one of the folds, just barely able to see the back of Ren's head. Who knew that Ren talked to herself this much? But, now that he lifted up part of the blanket, he could hear her much clearer. Toshiro secretly wondered if this behaviour made him a stalker or not.

"Oh yeah! Then there's the trip to the arcade with the others! Man, it sure has been a while since I saw Katelyn."

_Katelyn?_ Toshiro thought, recognising the name. _Isn't she that girl Ren attacked back in elementary school? Does this mean they're friends?_

"Hm, I should ask the others if they wanna come, too. But, if they're too busy honing their skills, then that's fine. I could always help them out with my own tips 'n' tricks! If they can come though, then that's great. I'm gonna ask Nathan if he wants to come along, too. Break the ice a little."

"…" Toshiro scowled after hearing that name. He could not understand why Ren was so forgiving to people who have hurt her. After all, she accepted an offer of strengthening her powers from an enemy without even considering the possibility that it was a trick. There were levels to naivety, and Ren was at the very highest level!

"It would be nice if he and Shiro could get along."

_What?_ Toshiro's eyes widened a little.

"I know that Shiro can't forgive Nathan for what he did, but it would be nice if he could even remotely get along with Nathan. Being friends is asking too much." Pause. "What am I thinking?!" Ren shook her head quickly. "Stop being selfish, Ren!" Ren tapped her head with her fist a couple times. "Whoops. There's the turning." Ren sharply turned the wheel to her left, and was soon up the concrete drive towards a singular large building with several rooms lining in front of the playground, as well as a large football pitch. The primary school.

_Thunk!_

"Hn?" Ren looked over at her back seat. Nothing. Just her handbag. "Huh." Ren turned back around, parking her car in an available space. "I could have sworn I heard something."

"…" Underneath the blanket, Toshiro was clutching his head with both hands. Even though he had worst injuries in the past, hitting his head really hurt. And it was on something metal to boot! It was a miracle that he was even able to supress a yell.

"Here I go." Toshiro snapped to his senses as soon as he heard Ren open her door. Quickly, he opened the door behind him and crept out, making the door open as little as possible, and staying down so that Ren couldn't see him. He timed closing the door as soon as Ren closed hers, and the sound of a car beep, and the prompt click, reassured Toshiro that he went undetected. The only evidence that he was there was the throbbing headache.

"Ah! Ren! So glad you're here!"

"Oh! Right!" Toshiro looked over the bonnet of Ren's car. Ren was already talking to another female adult wearing a blue apron, and they promptly walked into a mobile classroom. Despite loathing sneaking around, Toshiro went up to the classroom, looking for an opening. He spotted an open window. He stood underneath it. He could, sure enough, hear every sound going on.

"Hey, guys!" Ren said in a cheerful voice. "Who's up for some arts and crafts?" The response was several childish yells of "Me! Me! Me!"

_It sounds like those kids know her._ Toshiro concluded. _That means she comes here regularly._

"Ren, Ren, look what I made?"

"Wow, great job, Sara."

"Look. I drew you! And there's me. See?"

"Aw, that's so sweet. You're a right angel, Luke, you know that?"

"Hee hee!"

_Very regularly._ Toshiro thought.

20 minutes later

"Okay, children! Playtime!" Ren opened the door for the children, and they all ran outside, shrieking. "Don't forget your coats. It's cold out." A couple minutes later, Toshiro heard the door close, concluding that Ren and the teacher were the only ones left in the classroom.

"Would you look at this mess?"

"I prefer to see it as art. The bigger the mess, the more creative the person is. So, I guess if it wasn't messy, we would have to worry."

"True. But it takes forever to clean up."

"Good thing you got me then!"

"Yes, it is!"

"Shall I wash the paint pots?"

"If you could, Ren."

"Alrighty." Toshiro heard footsteps, and realised that the open window was above the sink. Ren was literally right there! Toshiro flattened his back against the building, barely even breathing for fear of making a sound.

"So, Ren, I heard that there was a fire at your school."

"Yup. I'm out of school for a while."

"How long until it opens up again?"

"Who knows?"

"I wonder what caused it."

"Um…I heard it was a gas explosion." Ren lied, and Toshiro saw how Ren's eyes shifted left and right. As he thought, Ren was terrible at lying, even when her back was turned. Then again, the bullet did hit some gas canisters, so it wasn't really a lie. Technically.

"Oh dear. At least nobody got hurt."

"Hm."

"So, where's your friend?"

"Um, I'm afraid you'll need to be more specific."

"I mean that boy who lives with you."

"Ah! Shiro! He said he's got some stuff to do."

"So…Does he know much about the village?"

"?" Toshiro couldn't help but notice the suspicious tone to the teacher's voice when she asked Ren that question.

"Not really." Ren answered, not fazed at all, and apparently not noticing the tone to the teacher's voice.

"I see…"

"He's learning, though. I gave him the keys to my dad's study."

"Just make sure he doesn't know too much."

"Can't make any promises there. He's a smart person. He'll figure it out even if we don't leave clues lying around. He's a right Sherlock." Ren said with a giggle.

_She's comparing me to a detective?!_ Toshio thought, a dumbfounded look on his face. _Well, I am sneaking around like one…_

"Well, I think that's enough for one day. I can handle the rest."

"You sure?"

"Of course Ren. I'm always grateful for your help. Could you get the juice from the back?"

"Sure." Toshiro heard footsteps as Ren left the room, and allowed himself to relax. Silence. Then there was the sound of beeps.

_A phone?_ Toshiro thought.

"Hello? It's me…Don't worry, I'm alone…He doesn't know about the anniversary…Understood. I'll make sure to keep it that way. I just hope he doesn't stick his nose where it doesn't belong…I know he'll find out eventually, but if we can just get through the anniversary without any incidents, then we're safe…I understand. Bye." There was another beep noise, followed by footsteps.

"Couldn't find any orange juice, sorry. I brought apple juice instead. Is that alright?"

"As long as they have something to drink!" The teacher said in an upbeat tone. Toshiro folded his arms, thinking to himself. In that phone conversation, the teacher was gravely serious. And, what was this "anniversary" she was talking about? Whatever it was, it was big.

"Just what is going on?" Toshiro muttered to himself.

"Ah! Crappers! I need to run an errand for the retirement home!"

"Go on, Ren. Thank you for your help."

"Anytime, Mrs Applebee!" A door opened, and Toshiro saw Ren trot out of the classroom and towards her car.

"Damn." Toshiro cursed, realising how side-tracked he got. He quickly followed Ren, staying hidden behind cars. He was just two cars away, but Ren was already at her car. He wasn't going to make it! Then, he had an idea.

"Ah!" Ren stopped short of her car door when she heard her Caramelldansen ringtone. "It's Shiro." Ren answered her phone right away. "M'yellow?" Silence. "Hello?" While Ren was distracted, Toshiro slowly opened a car door and slipped inside the back seat, making sure to close the door behind him quietly. Ren didn't notice. "Huh." Ren hung up her phone. "He must have forgotten to lock his phone."

_It worked._ Toshiro thought, feeling a brief moment of triumph, and took out his phone to hang up the call. _I swear, this sneaking around had better be worth it._

An uncomfortable drive later

"Here we are. Sainsbury's." Ren took out another sheet of paper and left her car before walking away. Toshiro also emerged from the back seat, rubbing his head.

"Alright, she did that on purpose." Toshiro grumbled, still a little ticked at hitting his head a second time.

"Oops. Forgot to lock." Toshiro flinched, expecting her to turn around. Instead, Ren snapped her fingers, and Toshiro heard the car lock.

"I didn't know she could do that." Toshiro said to himself, following Ren while keeping a safe distance. He looked up at the large building. There were parked cars everywhere, and there were numerous banners and posters telling of special offers on food and cleaning supplies. It was a supermarket.

"Why is she here?"

"_Ah! Crappers! I need to run an errand for the retirement home!"_

"Oh. Right." Toshiro realised that Ren had already entered the building, picking up a metal basket as she went.

"Let's see here…" Ren looked at her list again, while Toshiro made sure to keep her in his line of sight.

Ten minutes later

_So far so good. _Toshiro thought, watching Ren browse through an aisle full of snacks. _It looks like most of her shopping is done. She goes to the retirement home to drop it off, and then she goes to the youth centre in town._

"Dang it! They moved the jelly! I'm gonna have to go back!"

"Crap!" Toshiro quickly ducked behind a pile of washing powder, just as Ren walked around the corner and in the opposite direction, humming to herself. Toshiro peered over the top, checking it was safe. Ren was just in the distance. Quickly, Toshiro left his hiding place and caught up.

_I'm not sure I can handle another session in the back seat, though. My head still hurts. And I think all that hiding can't be easy for my back._

"I should probably get a newspaper, too." Ren turned around again, and went to the magazine stand. "Excuse me." She reached around a person with their hood up, who was reading one such newspaper. Ren grabbed one of them and placed it in the basket before walking off. The person lowered the newspaper. It was Toshiro with his hood up to hide his hair.

_On top of that, she keeps getting my cover almost blown._ Toshiro tossed the newspaper back on the rack, pulling down his hood and running a hand through the spikes. _I'm going to have to be more careful._

"Eh?" Toshiro looked left and right. "Where'd she go? Damn it, she's slippery." Toshiro quickly went to the other end of the aisle. He couldn't see Ren anywhere. She was buried amongst the crowd of shoppers. "Great. I've lost her." Toshiro shoved his hands in his pockets and walked off, deciding to wait outside the store for Ren to come out. And, while he walked, nobody paid attention to how somebody had white hair and was wearing a school jacket. In fact, nobody seemed to notice him at all. Not that he cared. He finally got outside, and the sudden chill of the outdoors got to him. He wrapped his jacket around him and leaned on the wall of the supermarket, folding his arms.

_From what I've gathered, Ren does a lot for the village community. Not surprising, considering she's the daughter of a village head. But, the way they talk to her makes it seem like she did it of her own will. Maybe the children of village heads aren't supposed to do things like that. Maybe this is out of Ren's generosity. That's worth remembering…But, I feel like everyone is keeping a secret. Something about an anniversary and the date March 7__th__._ Toshiro checked his phone. The time was 12:45AM and the date read as February 13th_. That's less than a month away now. I'll have to look into it. Maybe Ren knows something about it…_

"Ah! Finally done!"

"Speaking of which…" Toshiro muttered, recognising Ren's voice. He was zoned out for that long? He was getting as bad as Ren. He turned his head…and saw that the basket had turned into a trolley.

_How did it get like that?! _Toshiro exclaimed mentally. _There are so many bags…_

"Taxi!" Toshiro yelled, waving an arm in the air. A bumped head, he could handle, but he was NOT going to get any broken bones!

The Edge Youth Centre, 1:15PM

"Finally, something comfortable." Toshiro collapsed back onto a sofa with a relieved sigh. He surveyed his surroundings. The youth centre was rather spacious, with a stage taking up one whole wall and various arcade games and a pool table taking up one side, and two food stalls and smaller table staking up the other. All around the huge room were teenagers of various ages, some playing games, others chatting and eating on the food area, and a few were setting up the stage for later. Toshiro himself was in the quietest place he could find. That would be the corner on the room that was taken over by shelves of books and comfy looking chairs and sofas. Toshiro rested his head on the back of the sofa and closed his eyes.

_Well, at least no Feathers attacked today. That's all I need._ Toshiro thought, looking on the bright side. On the other hand, his head still hurt a little, and he had cramps on his back from staying crouched behind Ren's seat for so long. He'd take the mysterious burning on his back any day.

"Rough day, huh?"

"Hm?" Toshiro opened one eye. A girl with black hair tied up in a high half ponytail was resting her arms on top of a low bookcase, smiling down at him. He could see through the empty spaced of the bookshelf that she had on blue denim cut-offs and a purple t-shirt with a yellow star on the front, along with a few bracelets on each arm and a necklace shaped like a peace sign. "You don't know the half of it."

"Try me."

"It's nothing for you to be concerned about." Toshiro brushed off the girl, closing his eyes again.

"Aw, come on." Toshiro heard footsteps and felt the sofa cushion lower a little, meaning that the girl sat next to him. "Say, I haven't seen you around here. You new?"

"I guess."

"I suppose you go to Kings, then."

"Eh?"

"Kings School? You're wearing their blazer?"

"Yeah?"

"That's the same school as Ren."

"Ren?" Toshiro opened his eyes after hearing that name.

"Yeah. I guess you don't know her, since you're new and all. Ren is a regular here, and she always manages to find a way to liven the place up."

"…" Toshiro said nothing. Yup. That sounded like Ren.

"So, what's your name?"

"I'm Toshiro Hitsugaya." Toshiro answered, concluding that Ren's strange spell didn't reach her. Ren really did forget some people, as she suspected.

"Toshiro? Wow, that's an interesting name." Toshiro saw the girl smile at him a smile that was cheerful, but it paled in comparison to one of Ren's. Wait, why was he comparing smiles?! "My name is Katelyn Doss."

"What?!" Toshiro bolted upright, staring at Katelyn. "YOU'RE Katelyn?!"

"Eh? You know me?" Katelyn asked, confused.

"Well…not exactly." Toshiro said, calming down. That was unexpected. From what he heard, he was expecting a totally different image of Katelyn, considering what Ren did to her. "I mean…I heard about you from Ren."

"You know Ren?"

"Know her? I live with her."

"Eeeeeh?" Katelyn said, astonished. "Tell me." Katelyn narrowed her eyes mysteriously, a smirk on her face. She shuffled closer to Toshiro. "Is she C-cup or D-cup?" Katelyn asked, lowing her voice to a whisper.

"Like I'd know!" Toshiro yelled, feeling his face flush.

"I'm kidding!"

"Good!" Toshiro cleared his throat, trying to keep at least some of his dignity. "I heard about you from a…an article."

"Oh…that." Katelyn's smile became a sad smile. "I must admit, that was the first time anybody did something like that in the villages."

"I figured."

"But…I don't really hold any resentment for it."

"Huh?" Toshiro looked over at Katelyn, who looked partially happy and partially sad.

"At first, I was a little afraid of Ren, but then, I realised that I had been walking the wrong path. Ren showed me that. She helped me. She might not know it…but it's like she has this ability to change people."

"…" Toshiro looked down at the ground, recognising those words.

_"But, somehow, she finds a way to touch people deep inside without even realising it."_

_It looks like Ren has touched a lot of people in her life._ Toshiro though. And, he knew full well that her uncanny ability was working on him, too. Bit by bit.

"Oh! Speak of the devil!" Katelyn looked to her left. "Ren! Hey!"

"!" Toshio jerked his head up. Sure enough, Ren was right there in the distance. She was back form the retirement home already?! Quickly, he almost jumped off the sofa and ran behind a bookshelf.

"Toshiro?"

"You didn't see me, okay?" Toshiro said rather forcefully, peering through a small gap between two books. He heard Ren coming. Deciding that a bookshelf wasn't a good enough hiding place, he quickly went to another sofa, leaping over it and peering over the top. Ren and Katelyn were just a couple feet away from him. Toshiro sat behind the sofa, his back leaning against it. He was safe. Katelyn, meanwhile, smiled to herself.

_So he's spying on her, eh?_ Her eyes gleamed mischievously. _This could be fun._

"I didn't expect to see you here, Katelyn."

"Me neither."

"Ahaaa! Fate plays a weird game!"

"It sure does!"

_Okay…_Toshiro thought, ignoring the mindless chatter of the two girls as they carried on talking. _So, one person who seemed like an enemy is actually more of a friend. There goes the image I had of her. And, according to her, Ren actually helped change her into who she is today. Just what are you, Ren?_

"…and I met this boy, too."

"Really? Where?"

_What the…_ Toshiro thought, overhearing the conversation. _Are they talking about me?_ Toshiro abandoned his train of thought, and, against his better judgment, decided to eavesdrop.

"It was just in passing. He says that he knows you, too."

"Who is he?"

"His name's Toshiro. Toshiro Hitsugaya."

"Ooooh! You mean Shiro!"

"Yeah. Apparently, he said that he lives with you." Katelyn continued, ignoring the nickname Ren just said.

"Yup. He goes to my school, too."

"So, why does he live with you? What gives?"

"Well, um…this and that happened." Ren said, trailing off into a mutter. Whoops! She forgot to cast her spell on Katelyn. Oh, well. One won't hurt.

"You don't say."

"I do say!"

"But, why?"

"Like I said, this and that happened."

"This and that being…" Katelyn waved her hand in circles, encouraging Ren to finish.

"Just…Just this and that. Look, he lives with me, and that's that."

"That's that?"

"That's that."

"Aw, that's boring."

"I know, but there's nothing more to tell."

"…" Toshiro momentarily felt relieved, fearing that Ren would have slipped up and spilled the beans on White Raven and the Feathers.

"So, do you like him?"

"Gack! "Toshiro almost fell over after hearing that. He looked over at the girls. Ren had her back turned to him, but Katelyn was smiling deviously at him, an evil glint in her eye.

_You are so dead!_ Toshiro thought angrily.

"Well…"

_She's actually going to answer?!_ Toshiro ducked behind the sofa, hiding the panicked look on his face.

"Of course I like him!" Ren said cheerfully, obviously misunderstanding the question.

"No…I mean the other like."

"Wha…You mean like…like like?" Ren said, raising an eyebrow.

"Yuuuuup." Katelyn said, slowly and deliberately.

"…" Toshiro felt his face grow hot. He was blushing again! Unbelievable!

"Um…Wow…That's a tricky question. I mean, uh…" There was a very long pause. That pause seemed to last forever to Toshiro, as he was listening very intently to what Ren would have to say about this subject.

"Sooooo?" Katelyn said with a smile, leaning closer to Ren.

"Okay. I have an answer."

"…" Toshiro resisted all of the temptations that told him to look over the sofa, no matter how much he wanted to know.

_Alright, calm down._ Toshiro thought, placing a hand over where his heart would be and closed his eyes.

"Shiro is…"

"…" Toshiro opened his eyes, ready to hear the answer. But, why did he care so much about how Ren felt about him? He didn't get it.

"Shiro is somebody who is totally mature for his age, and he always takes things really seriously. If he even so much as smiles, everybody stares at him like he just belched in a museum. He's pretty harsh and maybe even cold hearted. He is short tempered and gets mad at the tiniest of things, and I don't know how many things can tick him off. Sometimes, he just won't cut loose. A complete and utter stick-in-the-mud."

_So cruel!_ Toshiro thought, taken aback by Ren's blunt comments. It felt like those words had just stabbed him.

"But…"

_What?_ Toshiro carried on listening.

"I don't care about all that. That just makes Shiro who he is, and I would never ask him to change. In fact, a couple weeks ago, Shiro once said to me "Don't ever change". That's why I don't want him to change. If he does, then he might not be the same boy that I met. The same boy who is willing to and actually wants to stay with an eccentric weirdo like me. He's strong. He's loyal. And, he has a kind side of him that I don't think many people have seen in him. Most importantly, despite that cold attitude of his, I can tell that he cares about his friends from the bottom of his heart. Shiro would do anything in his power to protect them, and continue to grow stronger for the sake of his friends. And, underneath that tough shell is a sensitive soul that we all have. He has doubts and fears, and he never lets them show. I think I'm one of the few that has seen it, and he's seen my vulnerable side, too." Ren smiled warmly to herself. "In short…No, I don't like like him. But…if I did end up falling for him, then it might not be so bad. If it's with Shiro, then I'm happy."

"…" Toshiro was struck speechless at what Ren just said. In such a short amount of time, Ren was able to read him like a book. And, the most important part was that she genuinely sees him as her friend. That and the fact that she accepts him for all of his many faults. She probably knew more about him than Toshiro knew himself. Who knew that Ren was this deep? And, who knew that she would make the effort to understand her friends? Toshiro couldn't help but feel a tiny bit embarrassed. Ren had already got him figured out, yet here he was, spying on Ren with a sprained back and a nagging headache. She made it look so easy to understand others. But, just like that, she knew Toshiro better than he knew himself. Steph was right again. Ren really does pay close attention to her friends.

"Ren…" Toshiro said quietly, his hand clutching the place his heart would be as his eyes shone. Whether it was out of happiness or sadness, he did not know.

"Also…"

_Creak_

"Eh?" Toshiro blinked himself out of his trance. That creaking sound was very near…

"Why are you hiding behind the sofa, Shiro?" Ren asked cheerfully, wearing her usual smile while peering down at Toshiro.

"Aaaaaaaaaah!" Toshiro yelled, crawling back from the sofa, completely terror stricken. "Wh-Wh-Wh-What…What are you…?" He stammered stupidly.

"Well?" Ren asked, still smiling.

"How long did you know?" Toshiro asked.

"From the moment I first got in my car."

"!" Toshiro remembered back when Ren first went to her car. She was dumping her handbag in the backseat. He was hiding in that general area!

"You knew the whole time?!" Toshiro exclaimed.

"Yup!" Ren said happily.

"Why didn't you say anything?!"

"Then you wouldn't be following me. I thought I might as well have some fun with it." Ren said with a pouty face.

"Wait…" Toshiro raised an eyebrow. Why didn't he like that definition of "fun"? That means those times he hit his head, the washing of the paint pots, the leaving at the last minute, the sudden turning around… In less than one second, he had stood up and grabbed the front of Ren's shirt, but she still smiled.

"You did those on purpose, didn't you?" Toshiro grumbled

"I ain't sayin'. But I'm sorry you hit your head."

"You're not sorry at all!" Toshiro exclaimed. "That really hurt!"

"Well, you've done well. You sure have a knack for persistence." Ren tapped Toshiro's forehead with two of her fingers, making Toshiro let go of her shirt. "But, I'll let you off the hook. You had your reasons…" Ren winked at Toshiro. "Detective Shiro."

"What? Detective…" Toshiro couldn't finish his sentence, embarrassed. "Idiot!" He looked away huffily.

"Heh heh!" Katelyn giggled. "You were right, Ren. He really does have another side. Something that only you can see."

"Uuuu, you're talking like a character from shoujo manga."

"Yeah, yeah." Katelyn stood up and pointed towards the stage, smiling at Ren. "Come on. I hear you're performing today."

"Eh?" Ren blinked, her face blank.

"Performing?" Toshiro repeated. "I know you do theatre, but…"

"Oh, she does more than that. She's a great singer too. And just watch her shred a guitar!"

"!" Ren blushed.

"Is she?"

"No no no no, nothing like that." Ren said quickly, waving her arms up and down. "I'm not that good! I'm really not that good! I'm just called up occasionally to perform with the band!"

"And there's the Human Hummingbird." Katelyn said with folded arms. "You're too modest, Ren."

"But I'm really nothing special!" Ren insisted, spinning around to face Katelyn.

"Yes, you are. You're better at singing than me, that's for sure."

"I'm not better than anybody! I'm really not!"

"So, are you gonna perform?" Katelyn asked.

"Well, I guess. But…" Ren shifted her eyes to Toshiro quickly, but Toshiro quickly noticed this. "It's embarrassing."

_Is it because I'm here?_ Toshiro thought. _Heh._ Toshiro gave a small smile. _You're really something else, Ren._

"Ren…"

"Eh?" Ren looked over her shoulder at Toshiro.

"I'd like to see you on stage."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Let's see if you're as bad as you say you are." Toshiro said in a teasing tone.

"You know what? I'm gonna go up there. Let's do this thing!" Ren proclaimed, punching the air while dashing to the stage.

"One minute she's modest, and the next she's full of confidence. What's with her?" Toshiro wondered out loud.

"It's probably because you said it."

"Huh?"

"Ah, nothing. Let's grab a seat."

"Guys, come on!"

"Coming! Come on, Toshiro." Katelyn grabbed Toshiro's arm and ran over to the stage.

"Hey!" Toshiro protested. "I can run by myself, you know!"

"Testing, testing." A boy with spiky brown hair with hints of blonde said. He tapped at the microphone, and the sound echoed through the building. This prompted many more teenagers in the building to flock towards the stage. Katelyn squeezed through the crowd, and Toshiro got through just before the gap closed.

"Phew." Katelyn sighed. "Oh, lookie here. Ren saved a spot for us." Katelyn saw Ren just a few tables away, waving at them from another table.

"Over here!" Ren yelled.

"Thanks, Ren." Katelyn said, already making herself comfortable on the metal chair. "This place is getting pretty packed.

"I guess word got out that school was closed, so they moved the concert to earlier." Ren concluded.

"You sound like you've been here before."

"Oh, but I have, Shiro. The best part about this place is that there are hardly any people from the five villages here, so they have no idea who my dad is!"

"And that is good because…" Toshiro trailed off, letting Ren finish.

"They see me for me rather than the daughter of a village head!" Ren smiled brightly right after saying this.

"I see…"

"Take a seat, Toshiro." Katelyn pulled up another chair, patting the seat with her hand.

"This is a big turnout." Toshiro noted out loud, sitting down. "Are you nervous?"

"Shiro, I've been on the stage so many times, I don't even know the definition of nervous!" Ren said boldly. She leaned down to whisper level. "Seriously, what does it mean?"

"Eh?"

"Gotcha!" Ren grinned, prompting Toshiro to sigh. "Anyways, I know why you followed me today."

"You do?" Toshiro said, taken aback.

"Yup." Ren leaned closer to Toshiro. "Listen closely, and you'll understand." Ren moved away from Toshiro. "Well, catch ya later!" Ren trotted off towards the stage, and started to talk with the band.

_What did she mean by that? _Toshiro thought, resting his head on his hand.

"Hey, guys! What's up?" The teenager with brown blonde hair yelled into the microphone. The response was several cheers from the spectators. The teenager kept talking, but Toshiro tuned it out, thinking over what Ren said. She knew why he was following her? And listen to what?

"Hey!" Katelyn lightly punched Toshiro on the shoulder, bringing him out of his daydream. "Ren's on stage." Katelyn pointed at the stage subtly.

"Oh. Right." Toshiro looked at the stage. Sure enough, Ren was stepping up to the microphone, smiling and waving.

"Hey, guys." Ren said into the microphone. "This one goes out to a certain someone." Ren shifted her eyes to Toshiro and winked at him. Then, Toshiro suddenly got it. Ren was going to sing what she knew! She really can be creative.

"A song dedicated to you?" Katelyn said just as the band started to play. "How romantic."

"Oh, shut up." Toshiro retorted. But, his attention immediately went to Ren as she started to sing.

_I'm an angel, I'm a devil _

_I am sometimes in between_

_I'm as bad as it can get_

_And good as it can be_

_Sometimes I'm a million colours_

_Sometimes I'm black and white_

_I am all extremes_

_Try figure me out you never can_

_There's so many things I am_

_I am special_

_I am beautiful_

_I am wonderful_

_And powerful_

_Unstoppable_

_Sometimes I'm miserable_

_Sometimes I'm pitiful_

_But that's so typical of all the things I am_

_I'm someone filled with self-belief_

_I'm haunted by self-doubt_

_I've got all the answers_

_I've got nothing figured out_

_I like to be by myself _

_I hate to be alone_

_I'm up and I am down_

_But that's part of the thrill _

_Part of the plan_

_Part of all of the things I am_

_I am special_

_I am beautiful_

_I am wonderful_

_And powerful_

_Unstoppable_

_Sometimes I'm miserable_

_Sometimes I'm pitiful_

_But that's so typical of all the things I am_

_I'm a million contradictions_

_Sometimes I make no sense_

_Sometimes I'm perfect _

_Sometimes I'm a mess_

_Sometimes I'm not sure who I am_

_But I am special_

_I am beautiful_

_I am wonderful_

_And powerful_

_Unstoppable_

_Sometimes I'm miserable_

_Sometimes I'm pitiful_

_But that's so typical of all the things I am_

_I am special_

_I am beautiful_

_I am wonderful_

_And powerful_

_Unstoppable_

_Sometimes I'm miserable_

_Sometimes I'm pitiful_

_But that's so typical of all the things I am_

_Of all the things I am_

_Sometimes I'm miserable_

_Sometimes I'm pitiful_

_But that's so typical of all the things I am_

_Of all the things I am_

Right after the guitar player struck the final chord, the whole room erupted into cheers and applause. Katelyn herself was standing on her chair and yelling especially loudly. Ren just smiled shyly and waved. She certainly wasn't expecting this much applause. Her eyes scanned the room, and she stopped when she saw Toshiro. He was the only one not cheering or even clapping. Instead, he was staring straight at Ren with a look that Ren couldn't understand. Was it stunned? Shocked? Damn, she could never read faces!

"Thanks, guys! Have a nice day, now!" Ren yelled into the microphone, right before jumping down from the stage. She quickly thanked all of the teenagers complimenting her in passing as she went towards Katelyn.

"That was so great!" Katelyn yelled, wrapping her arm around Ren's shoulders. "You were amazing!"

"Aw, you don't have to go into all that." Ren said with a shrug.

"You're so modest, Ren. Take a damn compliment." Katelyn said in a teasing tone.

"Sorry, it's just the way I am." Ren looked over at Toshiro, who was still wearing that same expression. "Was I really that bad?"

"N-No." Toshiro shook his head. "I mean um…"

"It's a little noisy. Let's go someplace quiet." Ren took hold of Toshiro's hand, and he looked down at it, not sure how to react. "Come on."

"…" Toshiro managed a nod, and allowed Ren to lead him through the crowd. Katelyn watched them go, a smile on her face.

"Interesting…" She said, folding her arms.

…

"Ah! This'll do!" Ren got outside of the building along with Toshiro. Outside, there were a few parked cars on the pavement, and the street was full of buildings no higher than five storeys. Ren let go of Toshiro's hand, and some part of Ren wished she held it a little longer. "Well?" Ren looked at Toshiro.

"Well what?"

"My performance? What was wrong with it?" Ren asked, a worried look on her face.

"Nothing."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure." Toshiro insisted. "Why are you asking this?"

"Because, you were the only one in the crowd not doing anything." Ren held her arms behind her back and looked away, scuffing the ground with her foot. "I thought that you didn't like it. I mean…that was the first time you saw me perform on a stage."

"Ren…were you trying to impress me?"

"Not exactly. I just wanted to know what you thought. That's all."

"Do you want to know what I honestly think?"

"Nn." Ren nodded.

"You're right. I've never seen you perform before. I had no idea what talents you had, and everything else I knew were just vague assumptions. But, seeing you singing on that stage…" Toshiro hesitated for a few seconds, trying to think of the right words. When they finally came, he looked directly at Ren as he spoke. "It had to be one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard."

"…" Ren beamed, her eyes shining. "Really?" Toshiro nodded. "Wow…Nobody ever said that to me before."

"They should. What I want to know is why you didn't say anything."

"Because you're only here for White Raven, aren't you? It's pointless if I tell you about myself." Ren started to fiddle with her hands, looking in different directions so that she didn't have to look at Toshiro. "But, over the past few days, you've actually started to look into me. I realised it today when I found out you were following me. It made me happy that you were actually trying to find out about me. So that's why I picked that song."

"Hm. It seems to fit you perfectly."

"That's what I thought." Ren placed a hand on Toshiro's shoulder. "Shiro…I know that you want to find out about me, but you'll just have to have a little patient. I'm not that easy to figure out. Even I can't figure myself out, and that's saying something. But, that's who I am. I appreciate what you're trying to do. Honest."

"I know. And, I admit that before this mess started, I was here solely for the mission, and I was determined not to make any attachments. But, before I knew it…" Toshiro thought back to the moment when he first called out Ren's name, when Ren saved him from Caleb, the conversation on Ren's roof and, most importantly, the promise they made after the Ryuki incident. "Before I knew it, I'd let you into my life. I actually wanted to stay with you. I wanted to know you. It had nothing to do with my duty as a Soul Reaper. It was a genuine feeling that I felt not as Captain of Squad Ten, but as Toshiro Hitsugaya." Toshiro placed his own hand on top of Ren's. "Ren…" He smiled up at her stunned face. "I'm glad that I am your friend."

"You're sweet." Ren smiled warmly at him. "I have nothing against you investigating me. It may take a while for you to know about me. But, someday…" Ren leaned forward, and before Toshiro could react, she planted a gentle kiss on his forehead. She moved away, and smiled her happy smile. "You'll get there."

"…" Toshiro said nothing, placing his hand on his forehead. Did Ren just kiss him?

"Hey, are you cold?" Ren suddenly asked, her innocent blank look on her face.

"No. Why?"

"Your cheeks are pink." Ren pointed at his face.

"!" It didn't take Toshiro long to realise that he was blushing again. Damn it, what was going on?! "No! I'm not cold! And I'm not blushing either! I'm just um…uh…" Toshiro tried to think of an excuse, but nothing came up.

"Shiro, it's okay." Ren insisted, smiling at him. "You don't have to hide anything from me."

"Right. Yeah." Toshiro said slowly, finally getting the blush under control.

"You know…" Ren wrapped an arm around Toshiro's shoulders. "I have a few other fun things coming up. That invitation is still open if you want it."

"Really?"

"Of course."

"Well, then…" Toshiro moved his arm and placed it around her back, since he was still not tall enough to place it on her shoulders. "I would love to."

"Yay!" Ren cheered, punching the air.

"…" Toshiro smiled. He was genuinely looking forward to spending more time with Ren. With his friend.

**Well, that's that for that chapter. By the way, for the song that Ren sang, just type in "I Am by Hilary Duff". Listen to that so you know what Ren sang. And try to picture a different voice too, since I myself know that Ren doesn't sound like that. Ha ha! Next time, Toshiro gets to spend more time with Ren. How will he react to Paranormal Activity? Will he ace the arcade games? And, where I the suspiciously inactive White Raven group? Stick around to find out!**


	21. Each Other's First

**Thanks for waiting, you guys! By the way, I now have a Twitter account! So, if you have Twitter, follow me Ren_Conner. Geddit? It's the name of the main character? Damn it! If I need to explain it, it's not funny anymore! Dang! Basically, if you wanna be up to date on my goings on, inside and outside Fate and Destiny, then that's the place to go. That will also get links to my deviantART account occasionally whenever I put up new pictures. So, that's the basic news. On to the story, where Toshiro continues to investigate and spends some time with Ren.**

Chapter 19

Each Other's First

"Okay, it should be here somewhere…" Toshiro muttered to himself wandering down a hallway in Ren's house. He looked at all of the brass door handles, looking for any sign of a key hole. At the end of the corridor, there was a single door facing him. Thinking it looked suspicious, Toshiro walked towards. Upon closer inspection, it had a lock. This was the one. Toshiro reached into his pocket and got out the keys Ren gave to him the day before. He found the biggest one and tried it on the lock. He heard a click. He was in. Slowly, Toshiro creaked the door open, as if expecting something to jump out at him. Nothing. Just darkness. Toshiro clicked on the lights.

It all looked pretty normal. Before him was an office with a dark wooden desk on the far end with a computer and a couple piles of paperwork, while jut behind it was a tall grandfather's clock. Just add a few sake bottles, and it would be the spitting image of Rangiku's office. But, what stood out the most was how one wall was lined with bookshelves, and the other had filing cabinets. Five in total, and all of them six drawers high. With no hesitation, Toshiro entered the room, closing the door behind him.

_Ren has gone out to the city for a few hours. Her parents have gone to work, so that leaves the house to myself. Perfect. _Toshiro thought. _Let's see…_ Toshiro scanned the labels on the cabinets. He focused on only two of them; the ones labelled VILLAGE and REN.

"Let's start with Ren." Toshiro went to said cabinet and looked at the labels for the drawers. One for school, one for work, one for hobbies, one for current school year and one for miscellaneous, leaving the last one blank. Toshiro decided to open the school one first. There were several folders in there, each one representing a different subject, divided up by years. "The anniversary this year is for six years. This year is 2012, so that means it would have happened in 2006." Toshiro took out said folder. "March 7th…" Toshiro opened it up, going through the papers and notes by date. January…February…March…

"What the…" Toshiro raised an eyebrow. "There's nothing here. Before March 8th, there's nothing here." Toshiro flicked through the papers backwards. "Two weeks…There's an entire fortnight missing!" Toshiro closed the folder and placed it back in the drawer, hastily closing it shut as though he had just seen a piece of evidence from a crime scene. He decided to go to the filing cabinet labelled VILLAGE. Each drawer had labels for each of the villages, but upon reaching the bottom drawer, Toshiro became suspicious. The label had been scribbled out with a black marker. He promptly kneeled down and tugged on the handle. It was unlocked. He slowly slid it open, only to find nothing inside.

"That's odd." Toshiro thought out loud. "What was in here before?" Toshiro shrugged it off into the back of his mind. He shut the empty drawer and stood up so that he could open the highest drawer. The one labelled "Hazelford". Toshiro unlocked it and looked inside. He was drawn to the one about "meeting minutes". He opened up that folder and scanned through until he found the minutes from 2006. He got to February, and everything looked pretty normal…until he got to February 22nd. There was nothing there. It had gone straight to March 8th. There was a February 21st, but there was nothing else until March 8th.

_Again… _Toshiro thought. _There's a fortnight missing here, too._ Toshiro placed the folder back inside and slid the cabinet shut. _It might be a coincidence, but I'd better check everything else._

3 hours later

"Nothing…" Toshiro muttered, closing another folder and putting it back inside. He pulled out the final one in that drawer and flicked through the pages. "Nothing here, either." Toshiro replaced the folder and closed the drawer shut. He stood back from the filing cabinets. "Almost all of them have a fortnight missing in 2006. Meeting minutes, club bulletins, schedules…Even Ren's homework is missing!" Toshiro rubbed his eyes with his fist. Going through all those papers had made his eyes itch. Now, he partially understood why Rangiku skipped out on office work. He had checked through everything in sight. He even looked in the storage cupboard and the boxes around the office. Even the drawers in the desk had no answers in them. So, he had checked each of the folders again at least three times each. He was at a dead end.

_A missing fortnight and an anniversary that I know nothing about. Could they be connected?_ Toshiro narrowed his eyes. _This is starting to look like a conspiracy._

BONG!

"Eh?" Toshiro looked at the grandfather's clock. It had just struck 4:30 in the afternoon. With a small yelp, Toshiro realised that he had something else important to do! He walked briskly out of the study, taking his keys with him. But, he was so wrapped up inside his train of thought that he forgot to turn off the light and close the door. As soon as the front door slammed, there was silence in the house. Five minutes later, the front door opened again. It was a man in a dark suit and greying black hair with glasses. It was Ren's father. Carrying a black briefcase in his hand, he unconsciously walked towards his office, but stopped for a moment. It was wide open. Suspicious, he looked inside. The light was still on. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Passing off his behaviour as paranoia, the man placed his briefcase on his desk, opened it up and took out a few sheets of paper. He went to the drawer labelled "Hazelford", and just as he got his keys out, he stopped himself. It was unlocked.

"…" He narrowed his eyes. Placing the papers on top of the filing cabinet, he took out his mobile phone, pressed a button, and brought it up to his ear.

"This is Marcus." He said, revealing his name. "I have some troubling news for you, Altair. It seems that he is close…"

…

"Neat." Ren said to herself, tightening her hair in its high ponytail. She went to a pan and dusted her hands with some more talcum powder. She was in a gymnastics hall, and her usually loose hair was tied up into a high ponytail. She had on a white long sleeved leotard with pink flame patterns on it, and her own addition of a frog head just above her chest. "I'm in top form today! Shiro's friends are working so hard. I have to do my best, too." She clapped her hands together, creating a little white cloud, and went straight towards a beam. She jumped up and climbed rather awkwardly on top of it. "Damn, I wish they made these things smaller." Ren finally stood up on the beam with a relieved sigh. "Now…" Ren walked backwards to one end, and raised her arms up, all while still wearing a smile.

At the same time, Toshiro pushed the doors to the gym open. He looked around, and noticed how there was hardly anybody around. That's weird. Ren said she would be here. All he saw was a girl on a beam performing back handsprings with great precision. But, she stopped in the middle, staying on her hands and performing a slow and gradual split in mid-air for a few seconds before falling back and straightening up, her arms stretched. That girl looked strangely familiar…

"Wow, I could never do that split before." Ren sat down on the beam and jumped down. She clutched her shoulder and swung her arm back as she walked. "If I keep this up I'll be taking on White Raven left and right in no time. Hm?" Ren got to the seating area for an audience, and finally noticed Toshiro, who was staring at her. "Oh. Hey there. Where are the others?"

"Others?" Toshiro repeated slowly. Ren must have told this girl about the other Soul Reapers. Damn.

"Wait, never mind. I think I know." The girl unzipped a gym bag and pulled out a water bottle. "So, why the odd face?" She asked before taking a swig of water.

"Sorry, but who are you?" Toshiro asked.

"Eh?" She blinked. Silence. Ren narrowed her eyes. "Uuuu! You can't recognise me?! I've only got my hair tied back, for Christ's sake!" Ren pointed at her annoyed face with her water bottle, her other hand on her hip. "Atashi wa! Atashi!"

"Japanese?" A pause. "Ren?" Toshiro finally got it. "Ren Conner?!" He almost exclaimed, a completely baffled look on his face.

"Yes." Ren rolled her eyes. "Do I really look that different with my hair tied up?"

"Well, yeah. But, I'm not really used to seeing you in that…attire." Toshiro said, choosing his words carefully.

"It's called a leotard, Shiro. It's a requirement for gymnasts. I just bought this one in the shops and made my own adjustments." Ren said this while poking at the frog on her chest.

"Right. You like frogs."

"Anyway, why are you here, Shiro?" Ren asked, looking at her watch. "Movie night isn't until another hour."

"I know, I know. I just thought that you might want to see a familiar face after your practice."

"An escort?" Ren said with a beam. "Wow, Shiro. You do know how to make a girl feel special."

"With today being the day that it is, I thought it was necessary?"

"?" Ren blinked, confused.

"It's February 14th."

"Oh yeah!" Ren tapped her fist on her palm.

_How dense can she get?_ Toshiro thought, sweat dropping.

"Sorry, sorry. I just forgot for a moment, what with what's been happening and all." Ren pulled out her hair tie and shook her head, allowing her hair to hang freely. She took out a hairbrush from her bag and started to brush her hair, looping the hair tie on her wrist. "I mean, with White Raven on the loose, I've been coming here more regularly, and having the school closed makes it much more convenient."

"So, is this where you do gymnastics?"

"Yup. There's also a karate hall down the corridor." Ren pointed with her hairbrush behind Toshiro. She flicked some hair over her shoulder, her hair now back to its usual style. "Right." Ren's body glowed yellow, and it disappeared in a burst of smaller lights, revealing Ren in a beige short sleeved zip up hoodie with a white and orange striped top underneath and a blue denim skirt.

"I didn't know you could do that."

"Well, now you do." Ren smiled her usual smile. "And the leotard goes right back in here." Ren tapped her bag, but she quickly zipped it up again. She had something in there that she didn't want Toshiro to see yet.

"Something wrong?" Toshiro asked, noticing her suspicious behaviour.

"Nothing! You just shouldn't look into a girl's bag!" Ren said quickly, picking up the bag and slinging it on her shoulder.

"I wasn't going to." Toshiro insisted. "Wait, why am I defending myself?"

"Because I wanna know what's in there." Ren pointed at the little pink gift bag Toshiro held in his hand. Toshiro gave a start and hid it behind his back.

"Also nothing." He said just as quickly as Ren did earlier.

"…" Toshiro and Ren spent a couple of seconds looking both suspicious and innocent at the same time, which was not an easy feat.

"Listen, Ren. Can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"Now, I need you to be completely honest with me." Toshiro insisted. If anybody could tell him what was happening, it was Ren.

"Of course. What is it?"

_Now, I mustn't make this sound too suspicious. _Toshiro thought. _I know…_

"Maybe…Maybe you and I can do something together. I mean, later on, that is."

"Yeah, that sounds cool! Name the date!"

"I was thinking along the lines of…March 7th." Toshiro looked straight at Ren, waiting for her answer.

"Oooo, sorry but I have plans."

"Really?" Toshiro said, sounding disappointed and curious at the same time.

"Yeah. My dad is making arrangements for an outing for me on that day. I dunno where, though. Hey! Maybe you can come with me!"

"Yeah, that sounds fun." Toshiro muttered, mentally cursing. Either Ren knew nothing about this anniversary, or she was lying. Neither one of them seemed likely, but Ren, as always, was being honest. He could tell when she lied, since she was dreadful at it. This was getting confusing. Can he trust what Ren said?

"What's with the specific date, though?" Ren asked.

"Nothing. I was just wondering." Toshiro said dismissively.

"Well, whatever. Come on. I wanna set up the house for Steph."

…

"Snacks, check. Pillows, check. Movie, check. Soda, check." Ren clapped her hands, her smile on her face. The small table in the living room was covered with bottles of soda, glasses and various snacks. A single sofa also had been littered with cushions and blankets. "All set!"

"Do you do this often?" Toshiro asked, entering the room. Unbeknownst to Ren, he had the same small pink bag hidden behind his back

"Yup. Once a month. Once a fortnight when it's a school holiday. I guess temporary school closure counts as a holiday." Ren's eyes briefly shifted to one of the cushions. She had hidden a little something behind there. Quickly, she reached down and grabbed it when's Toshiro's attention was drawn to a fly buzzing around his head. He quickly waved it off and went towards Ren. Neither of them said anything, trying to think of a way to start a conversation.

"Um…" They both said simultaneously.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Shiro. You go first."

"No, no, I was the one who interrupted."

"How about we both talk at the same time?"

"That's a stupid idea."

"It's better than insisting one talk first for hours. Besides, name one time my stupid ideas have never worked."

"Never mind…" Toshiro muttered, remembering when he found a tally of the stupid ideas Ren had in her filing cabinet. That felt like a knife on his pride.

"Ready?"

"Ready."

"…" Toshiro and Ren hesitated for a few seconds.

"Anyway, here!" They both blurted out at the same time, with one thrusting out a small, flat blue box tied with yellow ribbon, and another a pink bag. "Eh?"

"You got me something, too?" Ren said, taking the bag from Toshiro's hand.

"That's what I was going to say." Toshiro also took the box from Ren.

"It's Valentine's Day, right? I heard that the girls in Japan make chocolates for their friends, but I don't know how to make it without melting other chocolate, so I thought I'd get you something instead, since you might not like sweet stuff, either."

"And Stephanie told me that it's the boys who do all the work on Valentine's Day."

"That makes it sound like a punishment." Ren joked.

"But, that's only a just friends thing!" Toshiro said quickly, looking away from Ren.

"Of course." Ren smiled. "I understand." Ren pulled out of the bag a little box. She eased the lid off and gasped. Inside was a stretch bracelet. It was made of eight metal frogs, and there was a crystal like flower made from green petals in the middle of each one.

"It took me forever to find something for you." Toshiro glared at the direction the other house was in. "The others were clueless. Rangiku suggested alcohol, anything Kuchiki suggested was all about rabbits, Ichigo didn't have a clue, and don't get me started on Renji. It was your friend Stephanie who really knew what you liked." Toshiro didn't hear a response. "Ren?" He turned back to Ren, and saw how she was still staring at the bracelet, her eyes watering. "Are you alright?"

"Oh. I'm sorry." Ren wiped her eyes with her hand. "I'm just really happy. It's beautiful." Ren slipped the bracelet onto her right arm and admired it from all angles. "Wow…"

"So…you like it?"

"Like it? I love it!" Ren yelled happily. She promptly hugged Toshiro, who was still not quite used to this type of exuberance from Ren. "Thank you so much, Shiro!"

"It's nothing. Really."

"Oh, but it's not nothing, it's everything!" Ren pulled herself away from Toshiro, holding onto his shoulders. "This is the first time anybody has ever got me anything on Valentine' Day!"

"What? But haven't you had boyfriends before?" Toshiro asked, baffled at this new revelation.

"Yeah, but they didn't really count. They were just crushes, and the only real relationship I had lasted three months. Hell, I haven't even been kissed yet."

"That's hard to believe."

"How so?" Ren asked, cocking her head a little to the side.

"You're popular both at school and at the youth centre. Who wouldn't want to date a pretty girl like you? Ah!" Toshiro realised what he just said and covered his mouth with his free hand. Ren was just as stunned. Did Toshiro just call her pretty? He thinks that she's pretty? "I um…I mean…" Toshiro trailed off, trying to think of something to say.

"Shiro, it's alright." Ren gave Toshiro another hug, but this time, it was much gentler. "You're really sweet, Shiro. You know that?" Toshiro said nothing, not sure whether he should return the embrace or not.

_Warm…_ Toshiro thought.

"Ren…" Toshiro started to raise his arm up.

"Am I interrupting something?"

"Eh?" Ren let go of Toshiro and looked up. Steph was right there, her arms folded and a smile on her face. That's what she gets for leaving the back door open!

"No. You are not inte-"

"Steph, Steph, Steph!" Ren yelled, interrupting Toshiro and trotting over to Steph. "Look what Shiro got me!"

"Wow! I knew he was looking for something for you, but damn!"

"I know, right?!"

"…" Toshiro smiled to himself, relieved that Ren liked his gift. He didn't know what part of him wanted to give her that gift, but something inside of him told him that Ren would really appreciate something like that. Maybe he just wanted to see another one of Ren's smiles directed at him. But, that happiness Ren showed was something Toshiro was going to cherish always. Speaking of gifts, what was the present Ren got for him?

"So, are you going to open Ren's present?"

"…" Without saying a word, Toshiro took the lid off of it. It wasn't a piece of jewellery. Instead, it was a silver key ring. But, the key ring was in the shape of a snowflake with tiny little rhinestones in it so that they caught the light. When Toshiro looked at the back, where there would be bare backing, there was an engraving. It said "Toshiro" in elaborate writing. Ren had got his own name engraved on the back.

"I didn't really know what you liked, but then I remembered that your main element was frost, so I thought something like a snowflake would be fitting." Ren then waited for the response as Toshiro took out the key ring to get a better look at it. She braced herself, expecting Toshiro to say something cold like he usually did. Probably something with the word "idiot" used on the end of the sentence.

"Thank you." Toshiro said, looking at Ren with a smile.

"…" Ren blinked a couple of times, feeling her cheeks turn pink. "W-Well, that's good! Whew, that got a load off my mind!" Ren said loudly with her usual smile, trying to get rid of her nerves.

_Wow, he said thank you._ Ren thought, a little disbelieved.

_So, she got me something too._ Toshiro thought, looking at the key ring. _Ren…there really are no limits to your kindness_. He clasped the snowflake in his hand.

"I hope you never change…" He said quietly.

"You say something, Shiro?"

"Um, nothing." He said quickly, pocketing the key ring.

"Okay. Now, let's get scared!" Ren jumped back onto the sofa, followed by Steph.

"Great snacks, as usual!"

"It's your turn next time!"

"Come on, Toshiro!"

"Alright, alright." Toshiro sat down next to Ren, wondering what to expect. Ren clicked the TV on, and the title screen came on with the options.

"Mr Pillow's at the ready!" Ren declared. Steph held up a red heart shaped pillow with a little arm sticking out from either end. Ren's own pillow was a square green and yellow striped one with a picture of Keroppi on the front.

"Pillows? Really?" Toshiro said with narrow eyes.

"Yeah! This is a horror movie, after all."

"I bet it's not even that scary."

"Care to watch the trailer?"

"I'd be glad to." Toshiro responded.

"Alright. Clickity clickity click!" Ren pressed several buttons on the remote. "And we have a trailer."

A couple minutes later, Toshiro couldn't take his eyes away from the screen, even though the trailer was already over. This was what they were going to watch?

"This film gained a lot of reception when it was first released." Ren explained, not noticing the spooked look on Toshiro's face. "I heard that after one of the network big wigs watched it in his office, his door was locked from the outside. He even sent it back in a bin bag."

"Spooky. Let's watch!" Steph said cheerfully.

"Hold on a sec. Check out this trick. Clap off!" Ren clapped her hands twice, and the lights in the living room went off, leaving only the light from the TV left. "Ah, powers. The magical human's laziness. You ready, Shiro?"

"Uh huh." Toshiro said slowly, never taking his eyes away from the television.

"…" Ren smiled slyly. Seems Toshiro was afraid of horror films, after all. "Mr Pillow?" Ren offered Toshiro a square cushion that was coloured a plain blue with plaited tassels on each corner.

"Gimme!" Toshiro snatched the pillow out of Ren's hands, clinging to it.

"Alright." Steph pressed play. "Wait, let me just skip the adverts."

…

"Well, this doesn't seem that scary." Toshiro said, losing his grip on his pillow, although he didn't let it go.

"Just wait, Shiro. They scary stuff happens soon."

"Yeah, I mean, the girl…what's her name, Ren?"

"Katie."

"Katie says this stuff has been happening for a while now. Since she was little."

"And so, Paranormal Activity 3 was created."

"There are three of them?"

"You sound scared, Shiro."

"What? Never!"

"They say the first step towards acceptance is denial."

"Wrong situation, Ren!"

"Whatever. But, I hear Paranormal Activity 4 is going to be released this Halloween."

"What? They were fine with just three."

"Clearly, you are not familiar with merchandising. They make pointless sequels, and people actually see these ones 'cos they get some kinda thrill from being scared. It's just like the Saw series, except this kind of horror deals with psychology rather than gore"

"I see…Can you pass the popcorn?"

"Here you go." Ren handed a popcorn bowl to Steph, and she took a handful and stuffed it in her mouth. "Want some?" Ren offered it to Toshiro, and he grabbed his own handful without saying a word.

…

"Alright, who's this guy?" Toshiro asked, pointing at the screen.

"A faific." Ren answered, her mouth full of popcorn after grabbing a handful a few second ago.

"A sysick?" Toshiro repeated.

"Shory. One fec." Ren swallowed. "A psychic."

"Oh."

"What's a demonologist?"

"The clue is in the name, Steph."

"Ooooooh." Pause. "People like that really exist?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

"Hey, Toshiro deals with spirits every day."

"Not since I got here, I don't. But, I guess Hollows are like demons."

"Can Feathers be demons?"

"Sure, why not?" Toshiro said dismissively, grabbing another handful of popcorn.

"So, that spirit is just going to keep following Katie? I can't help but feel sorry for her."

"Try having an organisation on your back." Toshiro retorted after swallowing the popcorn. He was joking about the situation they were in? Whatever this movie was doing to him, Toshiro actually welcomed it. He was having fun, which is something he almost never does.

…

"Alright, more than half an hour in and the only paranormal thing that has happened is the door moving on its own and the lights flickering."

"And the footsteps."

"I didn't hear any."

"With these ears, I'd be able to hear a pencil drop." Ren pointed at one of her ears to prove her point. "I have enhanced senses. Been this way since birth. It's kinda complicated."

"Right…" Toshiro muttered, remembering that clue. Enhanced senses. That should narrow things down.

"Hey, something's happening." Steph suddenly said, bringing Toshiro and Ren's attention back to the movie.

"Did you hear that? It sounded kinda growl-y."

"I heard it, I heard it."

"Getting scared?"

"N-No!"

"Did that chandelier just move?"

"Eeyup."

"Ah!" Steph clutched her pillow, hiding behind it.

"Wuss." Ren muttered.

"I heard that."

"You heard nothing! It was a ghost!" Ren said loudly. At the word "ghost", Steph let out a yelp, while Ren smirked.

"Never turning down an opportunity to prank, are you?"

"Nope."

"Wait." Steph sat up, alert. "Did you hear that grunt?"

"Okay, that's a bit weird."

"I concur." There was another silence for a few minutes, and the three of them still held onto their pillows.

"Alright, next night." Steph said enthusiastically, completely disregarding her previous fear.

"Oh. Katie's getting up."

"Bathroom?" Toshiro suggested, lowering the pillow and moving it to his side.

"No, doesn't look like it. She's just standing there. And now it's fast forwarding."

"Lady, stop standing over him for two hours. It's creepy." Ren said with a tone of uneasiness in her voice.

"It's not that creepy."

"Shiro, would you think it's creepy if I stood over your bed for two hours while you slept?"

"I guess…"

"Yeah, that's what I thought."

…

"What's that thing he's holding?"

"I think it's an Ouija board."

"You know, I find that Ouija boards only make things worse. I hear they're hoaxes anyway."

"He's doing the exact opposite of what that psychic said. What's with him?"

"Micah's a bloke, Shiro. Blokes don't know any better."

"What's a bloke?"

"It's British slang for men. I think it means stupid men."

"Oh."

"How do these things work, anyway? Don't you need two people?"

"Apparently not. They're just leaving it there."

"Huh. My perspective of Ouija boards just changed."

"I get the feeling that the directors are making it up as they go along." Toshiro thought out loud.

"And now it's on freakin' fire." Ren said sarcastically. "That's just stupid." Another silence, which was interrupted when Ren opened up a large bottle of Coke, and the three of them took it in turns to pour their own glasses.

"Talcum powder? Alright, this guy is just egging it on."

"If he dies at the end, I will not feel sorry for him. Micah's a baka. Baaaaaaka! Die at the end!" Ren yelled at the TV.

"I hope nobody dies!" Steph said, her voice muffled by the pillow.

"It's a horror movie. Somebody is bound to die."

"The photo is broken." Toshiro said after a few minutes.

"It's on his face. It's official. He's gonna die." Ren nodded, affirming her declaration.

"How can you two be so nonchalant?!" Steph exclaimed, clinging onto her pillow.

"My job is to kill monsters."

"Horror movies have desensitised me."

"I literally deal with dead people."

"I'm from the internet."

"And now the psychic is scared."

"Wimp."

"…" With a whimper, Steph hid her face behind her pillow.

…

"The nineteenth night? When do we see the ghost?" Ren asked impatiently.

"I'm sure it'll happen soon."

"I hope it doesn't!"

"More ghosts!" Ren yelled, cupping her hand around her mouth.

"Ren." Toshiro nudged Ren lightly.

"What? You scared?" Ren asked with a smirk.

"Of course not! I-"

"Wait!" Ren said quickly. "Did you see that?"

"See what?" Steph peered over the edge of her pillow.

"The bedcovers moved on their own…" Ren clutched her own pillow.

"!" Steph promptly went back behind her pillow.

"I still am not spooked." Toshiro said flatly. "I won't need this." Toshiro dropped his own pillow onto the ground, resting his head on his hand. Seconds later, Toshiro watched the bedroom door, and he then saw a very faint shadow pass over it, and gradually, a scared look appeared on his face.

"Katie felt it breathing on her?!" Ren exclaimed. "Creepy!"

"!" Toshiro quickly grabbed his pillow again.

…

"Hey, isn't that the girl from The Exorcist?" Steph asked, pointing at the screen.

"Nnnnnnope." Ren eventually said after squinting at the screen. "They're just using similar effects. Besides, that woman has got to be in her twenties. Thirties, tops. The girl in The Exorcist was twelve I think."

"Did the exorcism kill her?" Toshiro asked. "I mean, in this film."

"Nah, nah, she became possessed after the exorcism and killed herself. Maybe." Ren squinted at the screen. "Wow, that's a lot of blood for a suicide. You know what? The exorcism killed her. Let's settle it at that. There is no way a suicide could do that!"

"How can you say that so casually?" Toshiro grumbled.

"I pretend that the blood is ketchup!" Ren said, smiling brightly.

"Interesting strategy."

"It really works. It wasn't as effective with Chainsaw Massacre, though."

"Chainsaw Massacre?"

"You don't wanna know."

"Twentieth night…" Steph said quietly, her voice full of dread.

"This should be goooooood!"

"Hm."

"There's the shadow…"

"What the…Did she just fall out of bed?"

"No she's…she's being dragged…She's being dragged!" Ren exclaimed.

"Get her, Micah!"

"This is getting weird!"

"Shiro is scared! Shiro is scared!" Ren sang.

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Stop being so childish!"

"You're the one who started it."

"No I didn't!"

"Yeah ya did."

"No I didn't!"

"Then why are you still continuing?"

"Well, I'm finishing it now. And I am not scared."

"Hey, Katie got bitten." Ren said, looking back at the TV.

"Okay, maybe a little bit."

…

"Alright, this is more than paranormal activity. You do NOT see this sort of thing happen in real life!"

"I know. That woman just spoke in two voices at once! And the man didn't even notice!"

"Bloke. Blokes never notice."

"Why are you the only one not freaking out?"

"It's all gonna happen on the last night. Night um…thirty one."

"How can you tell it's the last?"

"I'm psychic." Ren said mysteriously. Pause. "That and it's been more than an hour."

"I figured."

"Aaaaand she's going to stand over his bed again." Pause. "What was the point of pulling the bed covers off? Is it trying to give him a cold or something?"

"Shut up and let me be scared!"

"It's okay, Steph. It's nearly the end. Everything is going to be fine."

"Hold that thought. She's leaving."

"Eh?" All three of them stared at the TV, waiting for something to happen. "Where'd she go?" Pause. "Kaaaaaatieeeeee…where areeee yooooou?" Ren called

"MICAAAAAAAAAH!"

"DAAAAAAAAHH!" All three of them yelled at the same time. Steph was so surprised, that the bowl of popcorn she was holding had the entire contents emptied on the sofa.

"Steph!" Ren exclaimed, but she still picked a few off her lap and ate them.

"Sorry."

"Damn…" Toshiro brushed the popcorn out of his hair.

"Micah's following her!" Steph pointed at the TV.

"No! Don't go there!" Ren yelled.

"Yeah, it's a trap! She's gonna kill you!" Toshiro also yelled out, now well and truly spooked.

"Get out the house!"

"Get out, get out, get out, get out!" All three of them almost chanted. Silence soon followed, both from the television and from the three friends.

"Mm hm." Toshiro and Ren nodded at one another, knowing what this meant.

"Wh-Why is it so quiet?" Steph asked, uneasy.

"Hold on. I hear footsteps."

"They sound heavy."

"Is it the girl?" Toshiro asked, leaning forward.

"Probably."

"Uuuu…"

"It's getting closer…" Steph clung to her pillow tighter than ever.

"…" The three of them couldn't stop staring at the screen, getting more and more uneasy as the footsteps got closer. Silence. Ren swallowed loudly. In the movie, a body was suddenly thrown at the screen.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" They screamed. Steph used the empty popcorn bowl to obscure the top half of her head, while Toshiro and Ren discarded their pillows and held each other, but they were so drawn to the movie, none of them noticed.

"That woman killed somebody!"

"That settles it! She's possessed! And her name is Katie, Shiro." Ren added the last part with a quick mutter, almost as an afterthought.

"Why is she sniffing him?!"

"Alright, this is creepy!"

"…" Steph partially took off the bowl to look at the movie, just as the actress playing Katie smiled at the camera, before she suddenly lunged at it, prompting her to place it back on.

"Oh my god!" Ren exclaimed, jumping back.

"That must have scared several years off my life!"

"Yeah, I've been meaning to ask. How old are you?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Oh. Words." Ren read the letters on the screen. "Micah's body was found…Katie's whereabouts remain unknown."

"Wait, does that mean it actually happened?" Steph asked in a panic-y tone, lifting the bowl off partially.

"O-Of course not! This is just a movie made to look like an actual event! I hope…"

"What do you mean "I hope"?!"

"It's the credits." Steph took the bowl off her head, relieved. "It's over."

"Oh, thank god!" Ren sighed. "Ha! That movie wasn't scary!"

"Yeah! I wasn't scared!"

"Really?" Steph said with a smirk. She stood up and flicked the light switch on. "Then why are you clinging to each other?"

"?" Toshiro and Ren looked at one another, and they both simultaneously realised they were, indeed, clinging to one another. "AH!" They both jumped off the sofa, letting go of one another and trying their best not to make eye contact with the other, embarrassed.

"Let's never speak of this again." Ren said quickly.

"Never speak of what again?"

"Exactly."

"Don't worry, you two. This will stay with just the three of us." Steph reassured.

"Phew!" Toshiro and Ren both sighed.

"And all the people I will tell." Steph said quickly with a smile.

"NOOOO!" Toshiro and Ren yelled.

"Kidding!" Steph yelled, grinning.

"Steph, I swear…"

"It's Valentine's Day. Why are we watching horror films?" Toshiro asked, hanging his head. Those last frights had completely drained him.

"Because we're single." Steph answered simply.

"Yeah. Romantic films will just get us depressed. Also, they're gross and corny." Ren pulled a face right after this.

"I thought girls liked romantic films."

"Well, I'm not like other girls!" Ren said proudly, pointing at herself with a smile. "Although the occasional chick flick is okay."

"So, Toshiro. What do you think?"

"About what?"

"The film."

"Oh. Um…it was pretty scary. But…I actually enjoyed it." Toshiro himself was surprised that he was saying this. Enjoying a movie? That was something new. Maybe it was because he was with Ren?

"That's good. But, be careful when you go to bed tonight. You never know when Katie might attack." Ren grabbed one of the blankets off the sofa and placed it over herself. "Woooooooo!" Ren waved her arms around, going towards Steph and Toshiro. But, she stopped. "Ooooo!" Toshiro and Steph then heard some munching sounds.

"Ren, you greedy pig! What are you eating?" Steph pulled the blanket off Ren, revealing Ren with popcorn in her hand.

"What?" She said with a shrug.

"Oh, yeah. I spilled the popcorn." Steph rubbed the back of her head, embarrassed.

"I've got it." Ren looked at the sofa, and all of the popcorn lifted off the ground and the sofa, and it all dropped back into the bowl. "Done." Ren looked at the disgusted look on Toshiro's face. "Relax! I'm gonna throw it away!"

"That doesn't bother me. Well, it does, but isn't that a waste of food?"

"Shiro, would you be willing to eat floor popcorn?" Ren asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Apparently, you are." Toshiro pointed out.

"This isn't floor popcorn, its blanket popcorn."

"They're the same…you know what, never mind." Toshiro quickly gave up, knowing that there was no arguing with Ren's logic.

"By the way, Shiro, I have an off topic question to ask you."

"What is it?"

"What are your favourite colours?" Ren asked.

"…" Steph looked at Ren after she said this. Those familiar words were spoken to her years ago. Steph smiled. She knew what this meant.

"My favourite colours?" Toshiro repeated, confused. "Why do you want to know?"

"Just tell me."

"Alright, alright. Um, I don't know. Green and blue, I guess."

"Sweet!" Ren ate the rest of the popcorn in her palm and clapped her hands, smiling her smile. "Right! I'd best get this cleaned up!" Ren trotted out of the room, snacks and rubbish following her in mid-air.

_Why would she ask me that?_ Toshiro thought.

"I think that Valentine's gift got to her." Steph said, smiling. Toshiro looked at her, listening. Did she know something? "After all, she asked you for your favourite colours."

"What does it mean, though?"

"Well, let's just say that the day is not far off for you, after all." She left the room, calling out Ren's name. Toshiro was left in the living room to ponder. The day was not far off? Could that be the day Ren trusts him fully? Toshiro couldn't help but feel a little thrilled about this. He was getting closer to Ren finally letting him in! This was it! But, part of him was still uncertain. After all, with the mysterious anniversary coming up, he wasn't sure if he could trust what Ren said about it, or more like what she didn't say. After realising what he was thinking, Toshiro shook his head to get that bad thought out of his mind. He couldn't possibly think of Ren like that! After all, he was gradually knowing more and more about her. If she knows something, she would without a doubt tell him.

Besides, Ren never lies.

…

"Alright, here we are! Ren proclaimed, walking through the automatic doors with outstretched arms, wearing the same outfit as yesterday. They were inside a spacious arcade, with various electronic and table arcade games scattered here and there, along with change machines and food stands. The room was dimly lit, but there were various flashing lights off different colours, so it wasn't that dark, and music played over the speakers, so the whole place was filled with the noise or arcade games beeping, and the sound of different soundtracks over the speakers.

"Remind me, how old are you?" Toshiro muttered, walking in with his hand in his pockets.

"Oh, come on, Shiro!" Ren said with a smile. "You're never too old to have fun! I mean, you seemed to enjoy that movie."

"…" Toshiro looked behind him at the other Soul Reapers and Ren's two human friends about to follow them in. If Ren carries on talking about the movie, she'll bring up how spooked he was right in front of them. He didn't want that!

"It's so funny to see you so sca-" Toshiro quickly interrupted Ren by clamping his hand over her mouth.

"Ren…Ixnay on the oviemay." Toshiro hissed, trying not to move his mouth as he looked at the others.

"Huh?" Ren raised an eyebrow, lowering Toshiro's hand. "Is that pig latin? Hmmm…" Ren held her chin. "Nix…on the…movie." Pause. "Shiro, what does nix mean?"

"…" Toshiro slapped his forehead. Her intelligence only comes when she needs it the most. The rest of the time, she was either a dense airhead or a complete and utter moron. Right now, she was both!

"?" Ren cocked her head to the side, confused at Toshiro's reaction. "What's wrong, Shiro? I was just saying how the movie spoo-"

"Not so loud!" Toshiro said frantically. "The others must not know about last night."

"Why not?" Ren asked, an innocent look on her face. "It's not like we had sex or anything."

_That's not something you should say in public! _Toshiro exclaimed in his thoughts, once again baffled at how stupid Ren could be.

"Just…Just don't tell them." Toshiro said with closed eyes.

"Okey dokey!" Ren said brightly, smiling her usual smile.

_That didn't take much convincing._ Toshiro thought.

"Hey, what are you two talking about?"

"Nothing, Ichigo!" Ren said brightly. "We were just talking about the movie we watched with Steph last night. Ha-ha! You should have seen the look on Shiro's face!"

"!" Toshiro flinched as soon as he heard those last few words. What part of "Don't tell them" did she not understand?!

"Oh, really…"

"Nn. He kept denying he wasn't, but I can see through a bluff easily. In the end, he was almost as spooked as Steph, and I tell ya, she gets pretty spooked over horror movies!"

"Ren, I told you not to tell them." Toshiro said in a low hiss.

"Oh, THAT'S what you were talking about!" Ren said, tapping a fist on her palm. "I though you meant that part where we clung to one another at the end. Ack!" Ren's face became stunned as soon as she realised what she said. Silence.

"Busteeeeed…" Steph sang with a smile.

"Whoopsie." Ren rubbed the back of her head with a sheepish smile.

"Ren…" Toshiro grumbled.

"!" The Soul Reapers, especially Rangiku, flinched as soon as they heard that tone in Toshiro's voice. He was mad. Very mad! They all braced themselves for the onslaught that was to come. Toshiro looked up, and he said…

"You're completely hopeless, you know that?"

"Yuh huh!" Ren said brightly, not noticing the angry tone before.

"…" The Soul Reapers and looked at one another, confused. No yells? No drops in temperature? Forget White Raven. This was even stranger! However, as soon as Rangiku saw Ren lead Toshiro towards a Street Fighter game, she came up with an idea. She looked at the other Soul Reapers, and Ren's two human friends, and most of them seemed to think the same.

"Taking all bets!" Rangiku proclaimed with a smile. "Taking all bets!"

"Did I hear the word "bet"?" Nathan asked, just entering the arcade.

"You sure did!" Rangiku said happily.

"Wicked! What are we betting on?"

"Them." Rangiku pointed at Toshiro and Ren, who remained oblivious to their deeds.

"Alright…" Nathan held up a handful of money. "Fifty pounds says they don't hook up."

"I think Ren will dump him after the first date." Tom also held up some money in his hand.

"I bet it won't be a long distance relationship."

"I bet we all go home with nothing different between them at all."

"I bet that they won't even figure it out."

"You do realise that you're all betting against them right?" Steph pointed out.

"Safest bet." They insisted at the same time.

"Besides, is it really right to bet on the relationship between two people? We should just sit back and let things take their-"

"Aw! But that's boring!" Rangiku whined. Steph sighed, defeated.

"Fine. I say that they'll get together." Steph waved a twenty pound note. "I'm betting twenty on it."

"Yeah." Rangiku pulled out her own money from her pocket. At first glance, it would seem she had hundreds. "I'm putting it all of them."

"Are you crazy?!" Renji exclaimed. "You do know who we're talking about, right?"

"Yeah. But…" Rangiku smiled to herself. "Love can be an incredible thing…" She said quietly.

"What was that?" Rukia asked.

"Ah. It's nothing. Now, come on! Let's have fun!"

…

"What?! I lost?!"

"Aw, tough luck, Shiro!" Ren said happily.

"You've done this before, I know you have!"

"Uh, yeah. That's how I won. Duh!"

"Rematch!"

"Come on, Shiro. We've been on this thing for ages. Admit it. I'm awesome at fighter games."

"True. You do have brawn. But…" With a sly look in his eyes, Toshiro pointed at another game. It looked like a black arcade game, only there was a huge brain on top of it that light up. "Do you have any brains?"

"A quiz game, eh?" Ren linked her fingers together and stretched them back. "No problem."

Five minutes later

"I don't believe it…" Toshiro muttered, dumbfounded. "I lost to Ren on a quiz game."

"Hee…" Ren grinned. "I may be a moron, but there is one thing I am not, and that, sir, is an idiot."

"They mean the same thing." Toshiro sweat dropped.

"Nuh uh."

"And besides, how can you get every single one right?"

"I've played this game so many times, I know all the answers off by heart. For example, the answers for the Global History category is AABDCCDDDDAACBDDBCC-"

"Alright, alright." Toshiro said quickly

"Ren!" Tom waved at Ren from the air hockey table. "Come and play!"

"…" Ren looked at Toshiro, who simply nodded at her. With a smile, Ren trotted over to the air hockey table, grabbing a red mallet. Toshiro watched her go with a subtle smile. She sure was one hell of a gamer.

"So…you having fun?"

"Ah!" Toshiro jumped back, stunned by the sudden presence of Katelyn, who smiled at him.

"Did I surprise you? Goodie! That's what I wanted!"

"What are you doing here?"

"Um, I was invited?"

"Oh. Right." Toshiro, in his surprise, had completely forgotten that Katelyn was also invited. How embarrassing. That reminded him… "Listen, there's something I want to ask you."

"Sure. What is it?"

"But first, promise me that this can be kept between us. Just you and me. It's to do with the villages."

"Um…okay. I can't make any promises, though, but I'll try."

"Does the date March 7th mean anything to you?"

"!" Toshiro saw Katelyn's eyes widen a little, and he knew he hit a spot. "No." Katelyn said. She looked at Toshiro straight in the face. "No, it doesn't."

"But, just now, you-"

"Ah, Steph! You're playing Mario Kart?! Can I join?!" Katelyn was soon bounding towards Steph, taking a seat in one of the plastic driving seats.

_She's lying._ Toshiro thought. _She knows something. There's something she's not telling me. There's something that everyone's not telling me. But…_ Toshiro glanced towards Ren, who was in deep concentration over the air hockey game. _Is Ren lying to me, too? Just what are they hiding from me?_

"Three one! Ren is in the lead!"

_I know…_ Toshiro thought, hearing Nathan's voice. _I'll try and get an answer out of him._

"Four one to Ren!" Nathan proclaimed, waving a hand to Ren.

"What?! You're kidding me!" Tom exclaimed, scratching his head.

"Hee hee!" Ren smiled her smile.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were using your Wind Shackles." Tom teased.

"Well, ob-vi-ous-ly." Ren said slowly, waving her arm at Tom to show there was nothing on them besides the clothes she wore and the bracelet Toshiro got her.

"I know, I know. Your serve."

"Hey."

"Hm?" Nathan glanced down to find Toshiro looking up at him. "Oh, hey. What's up?"

"Over here." Toshiro pointed to his left before proceeding to go in that direction.

"Um…Can you two keep the score for a minute? I'll be right back." Nathan said before following Toshiro.

"Sure." Tom said dismissively.

"…" Ren watched them go, a smile on her face. It looked like Toshiro was starting to get along with Nathan. That's good. But, in her distraction, the puck went straight into her goal.

"Yes! Four two!"

"Gack! No fair!"

"So, what is it?" Nathan asked as soon as Toshiro stopped.

"I have something to ask you."

"Ask away."

"March 7th. Does the date have any-"

"I don't know." Nathan said quickly and sharply.

"?" Toshiro raised an eyebrow, suspicious. Why the quick answer? It can only mean one thing; Nathan knows something.

"I don't know." Nathan said in a normal tone. "That date does not mean anything to me."

"That's a lie. I heard you talking to Ren's friends about it. Something happened on that day six years ago, and I want to know what."

"Wow. You actually heard that?" Toshiro nodded in the affirmative. Nathan glanced in different directions for a few seconds, then he beckoned Toshiro to come closer.

_Yes!_ Toshiro thought, realising he was going to get an answer. He moved closer.

"Alright…" Nathan said in a low whisper. "I can't tell you much, but I'll do what I can."

"I want to know what happened on that date."

"I can't give you the specifics. I'm under orders not to."

"By who?"

"The village leaders."

"So they're behind it…" Toshiro said thoughtfully, holding his chin in thought. "But what are they hiding?"

"The Hidden Village."

"Huh?"

"Steph told you there were five villages, right? That was a lie. In reality, there are six of them. However, you'll find that nobody ever hears from the sixth."

"Why?"

"I can't say."

"Damn…" Toshiro cursed. But, he could somehow make a connection with the empty file and the new information on a sixth village.

"We all know what happened. But, we are under instruction to not speak of it until that date."

"Including Ren?"

"Yeah…She is." Nathan answered, but Toshiro couldn't help but notice how he hesitated in his answer. There was something else he knew. Something important. But, judging by the suspicious tone Nathan spoke in and the information he was given, Toshiro decided that he should lay off the questions. For now…

"Well…um…thank you." Toshiro muttered, glancing away from Nathan. He really hated the idea of thanking a person he punched a few days ago.

"Wait…Did you just say-"

"Ow!"

"I'm sorry, Ren!"

"Ren?" Toshiro immediately looked in the direction of Ren's yelp. She was rubbing her forehead, and a plastic puck was rolling on the floor. "Ren! Are you alright?" Toshiro rushed towards Ren, leaving Nathan alone. He knew that what he just said was taboo in the villages, but what could he do? It was a way to at least try to earn some form of forgiveness from Toshiro. And, judging by the thank you he just gave, it seemed to be working. Good. That's how it should be. If he can earn Toshiro's forgiveness, then that's good.

"Shiro, I'm fine. Really. Tom just hit the puck too hard, and it hit my head. It's nothing."

"Let me see." Toshiro moved Ren's hand away from her head, and he leaned a little closer to Ren. "It does look a little red."

"It's just a bump on the noggin'. I've had plenty in my lifetime."

"If you say so…"

"Caaaaptain!" Rangiku yelled happily, running towards the others, with a Winnie the Pooh under her arm. "Look what I won! Whoops!" In her haste, Rangiku didn't notice the puck on the floor, and she slipped on it. She was about to fall, but her outstretched arm touched something, preventing her from falling. Unfortunately, that something was Toshiro's back, which pushed him forward. Neither Ren nor Toshiro could get out of the way, and before they knew it, their lips met in a kiss, and they both went wide eyed.

"!" Everybody stopped what they were doing to look at what just happened. Rangiku, as soon as she regained her footing, looked both amused and horrified at the same time after seeing her captain and Ren. Good, because it meant the bet was in her favour, and bad because Toshiro was going to yell at her later. Katelyn was so surprised, that she drove her virtual car off the cliff, while Steph stopped just short of the finish line. Renji and Ichigo were resisting all urges not to laugh, Rukia was struck speechless, and Nathan took out his phone and snapped a photograph while he had the chance. He was NOT going to let them forget this. Tom, in his shock, let go of his mallet, letting it glide across the air hockey table. After several seconds of a tense silence, Toshiro and Ren pulled away from one another, stunned. Neither of them said anything. They just stared at each other, wondering whether that really happened or not. In that moment, it seemed even the machines had gone quiet. Ren and Toshiro brought their fingers to their mouths, remaining silent.

"And we have a freak out in three, two, one…" Steph said.

"!" Toshiro and Ren instantly went red in their faces.

…

"NYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

"RANGIKU!"

"Hm?" Epona looked up at the arcade building, pulling her hood down. "What happened, I wonder?" Epona shrugged off her curiosity. "It does not matter. It is time. But first…" Epona pointed her palm at the building the gang were inside. "Attack."

_I will see the extent of her light…_ Epona thought. _And I will extinguish it forever._

…

"RANGIKU! Why couldn't you have watched where you were going?!"

"I'm sorry, Captain." Rangiku whined. She was right. Toshiro was yelling at her. Ren, on the other hand, was crouched on the ground with her hands on her head, muttering "That was my first kiss" over and over again. Ichigo and Renji didn't bother holding back, and were laughing their heads off at the reactions from the victims. One was predictable, and the other seemed almost adorable.

"What's the big deal, Toshiro?" Tom asked. "It's just a kiss."

"The big deal is that Rangiku was careless enough to not watch where her feet were!" Toshiro looked away, a little embarrassed. "And…it was…" Toshiro muttered something after this.

"What was that?" Tom leaned closer to Toshiro.

"It was…" Toshiro muttered the last part again, but in an angrier tone,

"Speak up, Captain."

"Rrrr…It was my first kiss!" Toshiro yelled louder than he wanted to, prompting the others to back away and for Toshiro to look straight at the ground. He hadn't expected that one. He was starting to surprise himself.

"Eh?" Ren stopped muttering and looked over her shoulder at Toshiro. "You mean…you haven't, either?" Ren asked, standing up.

"No… I mean…not anymore…" Toshiro answered, trying not to look in Ren's eyes. He couldn't look at Ren properly without getting embarrassed

"We're each other's firsts." Ren pointed at herself and Toshiro.

"I guess we are…"

"I um…" Ren fiddled with her hands, blushing a little bit. "I'm glad that it was with you..."

"…" After hesitation, Toshiro nodded. It may have been an accidental kiss, but his anger at what happened had vanished the second he heard Ren say those words.

"_I'm glad it was with you…"_

"Me too."

"Eh?" Ren blinked, looking straight at Toshiro.

"I'm glad it was with you…too…" Toshiro looked away, feeling incredibly shy all of a sudden.

"Did they just say…?" Renji asked Rangiku, pointing at the two of them.

"They did." Rangiku smiled. "Looks like you'll be paying up soon."

"By the way, Rukia…"

"Yes?" Rukia was suddenly alert as soon as Ren called her.

"Move fifteen centimetres to your right." Ren said, indicating with her hand.

"O-Okay." Rukia immediately did so.

"Thank you." Ren clenched the air hockey mallet she had been holding the entire time, and threw it where Rukia was previously standing. The sound of plastic hitting bone was heard, and the person it hit burst into smoke, and after several seconds, the smoke reformed into a person wearing all black, with only the eyes showing, prompting Rukia to back away from it and straight to Renji.

"What the…" Renji stammered, holding Rukia's shoulders protectively.

"Ren, what are you doing?" Katelyn asked, confused as to why Ren would attack someone.

"Haven't you noticed how we're the only ones here?" Ren asked loudly, prompting the others to look around them. She was right. The machines were still beeping occasionally, but there were only a handful of people around.

"Is it an attack?" Tom asked.

"Looks like it. Stay together, everyone. The enemy is right here. They've been right under our noses the entire time." After Ren said this, the few people in the building turned black, until it made them appear to wear ninja garb, obscuring everything but their blank, white eyes. "These "gamers" aren't real. I've been getting an uneasy feeling since I came in, so I thought "wait and see", and I've waited, and now, I see." Even though Ren was speaking in a serious tone, it didn't stop her from smiling.

"How did you know?" Toshiro asked, amazed by her deduction.

"Always trust a woman's intuition."

"I'm not sure if it works like that…"

"For me it does. Katelyn, you stick by Tom and Steph. Nathan, you join 'em."

"Nathan, what's going on?" Katelyn asked, hoping to get an answer.

"I know and I don't know at the same time. Just go with it."

"The rest of you, stay alert." Ren clicked her heels together, and the Fire Shackles appeared instantly.

"Ren's on fire!"

"Later, Katelyn." Fire appeared around each of Ren's hands, and in each one was a silver pistol, with the handle coloured red and an orange teardrop shape on each side, and another few smaller orange teardrop shapes on top. "You ever held a gun, Shiro?"

"No. Wah!" Right after Toshiro said this, Ren tossed him a pistol, and in his panic, Toshiro tossed the pistol between each hand before he finally managed to grip it.

"Well, you have now."

"Wait, how am I supposed to use this?!"

"Easy." Ren said, wearing her trademark blank expression. "Point and shoot. Just pretend it's a gun that fires those chokaho's you use."

"Choca-what?" Ichigo said, confused.

"I think she means Shakkaho." Renji said to Ichigo.

"Oooh."

"Okay, ninjas! Get your gamer caps on!" Ren pointed her gun at the crowd of black clothed people with blank eyes, wearing an excited smile on her face. "'Cos it's game time."

**TA DA! That took longer than expected. Whoops! Well, I'm back in England now, and have just had Christmas, so there should be a more continuous flow of chapter updates coming your way. Coming up, Ren faces off against the ninjas, and Epona finally makes her move. What does she have in store for our hero and heroine? Stick around and find out! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all!**


	22. Creating Darkness

**Back again, folks! Last time, Epona has finally made her move, and has sent some ninja-like people to attack Ren and the others at the arcade. Just what exactly does she have in mind for them? More specifically, what does she have in mind for Ren? These questions shall be answered in this chapter. Lemme tell ya, it's gonna be a good answer!**

**Chapter 20**

**Creating Darkness**

"Okay, ninjas! Get your gamer caps on!" Ren pointed her gun at the crowd of black clothed people with blank eyes, wearing an excited smile on her face. "'Cos it's game time."

"…" The ninjas said nothing in response, and only glared at Ren. One of them brandished a dagger in their hand, where it gleamed in the light. Without warning, that figure threw the dagger. Toshiro quickly realised that the dagger wasn't aimed at Ren. It was heading straight towards his face. Just as Toshiro braced himself, he heard the sound of metal clashing with metal, and the dagger spun through the air before clattering on the ground. Ren had her gun raised up in the air, before lowering it and pointing it at the ninjas again.

"Well, that was rude." Ren muttered. She looked over her shoulder at her friends. "Guys, take care of Shiro. He's the one they're after."

"You knew about this?" Katelyn asked, still not recovering from the idea that Ren had powers.

"Of course I did. Why else do you think I gave Shiro a gun?"

"…" Toshiro looked at the pistol in his hand, having forgotten about it moments ago. Ren was trusting him with one of her weapons, now that he was a target. Before, he used Ren's sword as self-defence while worrying about the consequences of damaging it, but now that Ren had willingly given him something that was hers, he knew that Ren trusted him. And he wasn't going to let her down anytime soon.

"Use that whenever you need to." Ren looked back at the ninjas. "Okay, can you guys aim your attacks at me? I'm the opponent here." However, another ninja threw two daggers at Toshiro again. "Dammit, I said me!" Ren swatted them away again with her gun. She stared at the weapon, amazed. "Wow, this thing's sturdier than I thought. Oh, almost forgot." Ren pulled the trigger of her gun. It fired a fireball that was the same size as a football from the tip, where it hit one of the ninjas, who disappeared in a puff of black smoke with a shrieking noise that sounded like a bird. "You're the one who attacked Shiro first, aren't ya?"

"…" One of the remaining ninjas gave a grunting sound, and two daggers appeared in hands. He threw them both at Ren, followed by two more, then another two, and then another two, until a whole swarm of daggers was rushing towards Ren. However, Ren was unfazed by this, and without even breaking a sweat, she swatted away each dagger with her gun. The daggers all clattered noisily on the uncarpeted ground, and a silence fell after this. The other Soul Reapers, minus Ichigo and Toshiro, were amazed that a simple human like Ren could do something like that. Well, she was far from simple now, that much was clear.

"Aaaaaw!" Ren suddenly whined. "I thought ninjas were strong! I guess I overestimated them." Ren sighed and shook her head. "So disappointing."

"Um, Ren?" Rukia said nervously. "I wouldn't say that if I were you."

"Hm? Why not?" Ren asked, wearing her trademark innocently blank face. As soon as Ren asked this, the two dozen or so ninjas simultaneously materialised a dagger in each of their hands.

"That's why." Rukia said, pointing at the ninjas. Ren turned to look.

"Ohoho! Now we're talkin'!" Ren exclaimed, smiling. "Don't wanna break this." Ren tucked her gun behind her skirt and clapped her hands once. The Lightning Shackles replaced the Fire Shackles automatically. But, Ren's gun didn't disappear, and neither did the gun Toshiro was holding, much to his confusion. Ren paid no attention to this though, and two bolts of lightning appeared in her hands. As soon as she gripped them, they turned into two unsheathed katanas, both of them identical. It was the same katana Ren had used against the Feathers weeks ago.

"Thanks for waitin'." Ren said happily. The ninjas said nothing again, and at the same time, they threw their daggers at Ren, followed by several more until there were so many, it looked like a swarm of insects. Ren smirked. In that flurry of daggers and katanas, Ren's arms were moving so quickly that they were just a blur, but nobody needed to see her arms to know what was going on. The sound of metal clashing with metal and the sight of more and more daggers hitting the ground gave them enough information for them to realise that Ren was having no problem.

"…" Toshiro looked behind him and at his back. The burning feeling was back again. He had previously deduced that it only happened when Ren was using her powers or when he was about to use a power that belonged to Ryuki. However, he wasn't getting any premonitions right now, he knew that those ninjas were with White Raven, yet the burning never came before they appeared. So, it must be Ren. But, what exactly was she doing that made his back burn?

"Uh…" Katelyn started, staring at Ren as she batted away the daggers with her swords. "Could one of you tell me what's going on?" Katelyn asked Tom, Steph and Nathan, hoping at least one of them would be able to give her an answer.

"Ren, good. Ninjas, bad." Nathan said quickly.

"I know that. What I want to know is why there are ninjas here!"

"Long story short, there's an organisation called White Raven, and Ren is on their top hit list, along with Toshiro."

"Also, the others are Soul Reapers."

"Eh?!" Katelyn exclaimed, recoiling. "Then what's Toshiro?!"

"A Soul Reaper."

"And a reincarnation." Steph corrected.

"And a reincarnation." Tom added.

"How can you two be so calm?" Katelyn muttered.

"Look, we were just like you when we found out what Ren was getting involved in, but at the time, we were about to be eaten by monsters, so we didn't really have time to freak out." Tom explained in a flat voice.

"Phew!"

"?" Ren's exclamation brought the four humans back to Ren, who was surrounded by what looked like hundreds of daggers, leaving a lone empty circle where Ren's feet were that was no bigger than a football. Ren rubbed her forehead with her arm.

"That was one heck of a workout. Now, it's my turn. So you guys have gotta wait for me, 'kay?" Ren asked, pointing at the ninjas with one of her swords. A couple seconds silence, which the Soul Reapers took as an opportunity to lament on how stupid Ren could be. "Okay." With that, Ren's swords disappeared, as did her Lightning Shackles.

"Ren, what are you doing?" Renji nearly exclaimed. "You can't beat those things without the light…bracelet…things." Renji finished the last part of his sentence slowly, having forgotten what they were called.

"Lightning Shackles." Ren said with narrow eyes. "And in case you haven't noticed, I have plenty of weapons." Right after she said this, the hundreds of daggers slowly floated up into the air, and they all hovered on both sides of Ren, who smiled a confident smile.

"Of course." Ichigo snapped his fingers. "Nice one, Ren."

"Heheh." Ren looked over her shoulder and saluted at Ichigo with two of her fingers before looking back at the ninjas. "Thanks for the daggers." Ren raised her right hand up. "You can have 'em back now." Ren flicked her wrist to the ninjas. The daggers whooshed towards them so quickly, it created a small breeze. In every ninja, there wasn't a single place where there wasn't a massive hole, as each time a dagger hit them, it created a hole just before the daggers disappeared into black smoke. After sustaining so many hits, the ninjas turned into black smoke that floated in the air for a good while. Suddenly, they turned into their original forms again without a single mark on injury on them. And despite having their faces covered up, anybody could tell that they were mad.

"It didn't work? But why?" Rangiku wondered out loud, astonished.

"Because they're not human." Ren answered simply. "They have no flesh, so anything like daggers will go straight through them." Ren reached behind her for her gun. She pulled it out from behind her skirt, and after spinning it a few times on her finger, held it firmly in her hand. She pointed it at one ninja. "Fire, however…" Ren pulled the trigger. With a loud bang sound, a fireball shot out and hit the ninja, making it turn into black smoke with a shriek, and it was permanently gone. "Makes them vanish."

"I see…In that case, I'll-"

"No." Ren interrupted Toshiro, who was poised to pull the trigger of the gun he held. "You stay put. For now. I'll need you later." Toshiro nodded in response. So he was going to be useful after all. Good. Ren pulled the trigger of her gun, but didn't let go. As a result, a fireball appeared on the tip of her gun, and with each passing second, it grew bigger and bigger.

"Ren, what are you doing? That thing is going to kill us all!" Renji yelled.

"No it won't." Slowly and calmly, Ren walked towards the ninjas, and each one backed away from her, not wanting to be hit by the fireball. Ren stopped when she was in the middle of the room, pointing her gun ahead of her. "Guys…You might want to cover your ears."

"?" Everybody became confused as to why Ren would say this. Even Toshiro was a little puzzled.

"Shiro…Catch!" Ren threw something in the air towards Toshiro, and before anybody could notice what it was, Toshiro caught it in one hand. He looked at the contents, and as soon as he did, he understood. "And to you ninjas, I only have one word to say before I unveil the biggest fireball ever…" Ren pointed the now humongous fireball at the ceiling. "Sunlight!" Ren released the trigger. The fireball shot up into the air with a huge bang and the ball was so hot, it burned a perfect circle in the ceiling and there wasn't even any rubble. As soon as the smoke cleared, the sunlight shone straight through the hole, casting a natural spotlight on the ground, and straight on the ninjas. All at once, the arcade was full of the sound of the loudest shrieks that would put any eagle to shame. The ninjas were shrieking from the direct sunlight, clutching their heads in agony. In fact, their shrieks were so loud, everybody had to cover their ears.

"What is that horrible racket?!" Steph yelled.

"My eardrums are gonna burst!" Ichigo yelled. Rukia was so overwhelmed by the loud shrieking that she actually fell onto her knees. Nathan tried pulling the sleeves of his jacket over his hands and covering his ears like that, and his face became a little more relieved.

"Whew!" Ren sighed. "They sure are noisy. Shiro!" Ren beckoned Toshiro to come to her with one hand.

"Right!" Toshiro ran past his Soul Reaper comrades and towards Ren, ignoring the ninjas as they staggered around in pain.

"Wait, why isn't he affected?!" Renji exclaimed, as he saw Ren holding her gun up while looking at Toshiro. He brought the gun Ren had given him up to show he knew what to do.

"Dakka time!" Ren yelled, right before she started rapid firing her gun at the ninjas, yelling "dakka" every time she pulled the trigger.

"Could you not be eccentric for five minutes?" Toshiro muttered, right before he noticed how a ninja was in front of him, still screaming in pain. He quickly pointed the pistol at it and pulled the trigger, shooting a fireball that destroyed it on contact in a puff of black smoke. Toshiro was momentarily stunned that he was able to use a weapon that belonged to Ren, since he couldn't use the lightning on Ren's sword. He shrugged it off and continued to shoot any dark ninjas that happened to step near him. He decided that taking a leaf out of Ren's book and going with the flow was best right now.

"…" Unknown to anybody, there was a shadow standing in the darkness, watching the fight. It was Epona, who still had her hood down. It was just as she thought. Ren had figured out their weakness and used it to her advantage. It was like she said before. Ren Conner was a special kind of genius.

"Aaaaaaand we're done!" Ren proclaimed. She spun her pistol around the trigger hole, causing it to turn into a wheel of fire that quickly disappeared, along with the pistol. Toshiro was still looking around the arcade, watching for any more signs of movement, keeping the gun raised. When he was certain nobody was around, he lowered the gun. Ren snapped her fingers, and the gun burst into fire, making it disappear like the other pistol. But, the fire did not burn him. He looked over at Ren, who smiled her trademark smile at him, and on a new instinct, Toshiro smiled back at her.

"Hm?" Ichigo took his hands off his ears cautiously. "Hey. It stopped."

"Oh. Thank goodness." Steph sighed. Gradually, the rest of the gang moved their hands away from their ears, wearing very relieved looks on their faces.

"Ren, what's going on?" Katelyn asked, immediately in front of Ren. "Who were those guys? What were you doing? Why didn't their screams affect you two?"

"Hold that thought." Ren said, raising a hand up to silence Katelyn. She reached up to her ears, and pulled out an orange foam earplug from each one, Toshiro doing the same. He offered them back to Ren. "Nah, you keep 'em." Ren said, pocketing her ear plugs after putting them in a special case. "And put them in their case. They get fluffy and gross if you don't."

"Well, that explains it." Renji said. "But why didn't you give any to us?!"

"Sorry, I only had two pairs. Wait…make that one. Shiro has the other one. And, Katelyn? Do you want the long story or the short story?"

"Um…short." Katelyn answered after consideration.

"There's an organisation called White Raven trying to kill Shiro and maybe me at some point since we both have weird powers that they're pretty interested in. They're interested in Shiro for a different reason, though. It's kinda complicated for me."

"Where have I heard that before?" Toshiro said sarcastically.

"Oi, less of the sarcasm, Shiro."

"Powers, huh?" Katelyn said quietly, looking down at the ground, a sad look in her eyes.

"…" Toshiro noticed this change in behaviour. Katelyn was acting strange again. Just like when he asked her about March 7th. He shifted a quick glance at the three humans. They had also noticed the sad tone in Katelyn's voice, and were looking at each other with solemn gazes. Just what were they hiding?

"Hey, are you alright?" Ren asked, suddenly noticing how Katelyn became sad.

"Oh…I'm fine, I'm fine!" Katelyn said happily, suddenly her bubbly self again. But, that didn't stop Toshiro from being suspicious. She knew something. And he was going to find out what it was.

"…" Epona said nothing throughout this conversation. Just as she feared. Ren's light was very strong, possibly the strongest she has ever come across.

"_So, what you going to do about it?"_

"?" Epona was snapped out of her train of thought upon hearing Etheline's voice in her head.

"_I will act tonight."_ Epona responded in her mind.

"_But you said yourself she doesn't have any darkness. How will this work if you don't have the main ingredient?"_

"_It's simple."_ Epona turned around and began to walk towards the arcade exit. The doors slid open noiselessly, going unnoticed by even Ren, who continued to talk to her friends happily. _"If I cannot find darkness…"_ Epona stopped walking just outside of the arcade.

"I will create darkness." She said out loud, pulling her hood back over her head. Her shadow rippled under her feet, before it grew around her body, encasing her in black, and the shadowed figure disappeared into the road, leaving no traces of her ever being there.

…

"Ren, you don't have to do this." Ichigo insisted, raising his hands up in protest.

"Daaaaaaame!" Ren said loudly. She raised a finger up and waged it a couple times. "I'm not letting my friends starve. Besides, I promised you guys I'd cook for you, and I might as well teach you a few things while I'm at it." Ren turned around and pointed at the rest of the Soul Reapers. "So if your name is not Ichigo or Ren, I want you out." None of them moved, baffled at Ren giving them orders. "Come on!" Ren marched towards them and pushed them all towards the door and out of the kitchen. "Out out out out out out out!"

"Alright, alright! Geez!" Renji exclaimed after tumbling out of the kitchen, along with Rukia and Rangiku.

"Stay out of here until I say so!" Ren closed the door hard enough to give the message she didn't want to be disturbed, but soft enough for it to not turn into a slam. Silence followed. That was broken when the kitchen door opened again.

"You too!" Toshiro was then shoved out of the door, and as soon as he staggered away from it, the door shut again.

"Wow, captain. Not what I expected from your girlfriend." Rangiku said with a smirk.

"Oh, shut up!" Toshiro yelled, his face going bright red. "She's not my girlfriend! And it was just an accidental kiss!"

"So you're just going to pretend it didn't happen?" Rukia asked.

"Precisely!" Toshiro nodded, folding his arms. "Now, if you are done, I have something I need to attend to. See you later." Toshiro turned around and briskly walked towards the front door, his hands in his pocket.

"Toshiro, where are you going?"

"That doesn't concern you. And it's Captain Hitsugaya."

…

Toshiro let out a sigh as soon as he shut the front door. No sooner had he started to walk through the gate, he heard a clattering sound from inside the house and Ren yelling something along the lines of "Not in there!" After a couple of seconds, Toshiro saw some smoke come out of the kitchen window. Fortunately, it wasn't black smoke, so there wasn't a fire. Immediately, Toshiro remembered when the school was on fire, and how Ren was put into danger more than once that day. Toshiro quickly shook his head to get rid of the memories and put them in the back of his mind, which was where they belonged. He didn't want to be reminded of his helplessness any more than he should.

"?" Out of the corner of his eye, Toshiro saw something just around the corner, barely noticeable in the almost dark atmosphere. Curious, he wandered over to the corner and looked around the tree that blocked his sight. It was a sign that looked as though it had seen better days. However, through the wet wood and the moss, he saw the words VILLAGE HALL and an arrow pointing to the right. He looked. Sure enough, there was a small, one storey building with windows on one side, showing a rather small hall. Behind that was a longer corridor, leading to smaller separate rooms.

_Maybe there's something in there._ Toshiro thought. He walked towards the building, becoming more and more certain that something important might be in there. Something that could answer the questions in his mind about the anniversary, and maybe even the sixth village. Without hesitation, Toshiro reached for the door handle.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"!" Toshiro spun around after hearing that voice. It was Nathan, and he was leaning on the wall around a field, a bike right next to him.

"You won't like what you see." Nathan continued.

"Give me one good reason why I should believe you."

"Because you believed me when we talked at the arcade today."

"That was different." Toshiro said quickly, looking back at the door and reaching towards the handle again. "Now if you don't mind-"

"You believed me then, right? So believe me now."

"You have a lot of nerve telling me to believe you after what you did to Ren." Toshiro said angrily, looking away from the door again.

"I didn't do anything to her back then. She just kept sticking her nose where it didn't belong. I just did what I would do to anybody who tried to play hero with me. Rest assured, I've discarded my old ways. I risked my ass telling you that info in the arcade, and the noose is getting tighter and tighter around your neck the more you investigate." Nathan moved away from the wall and walked across the road towards Toshiro. "Take it from me, a local. You do not want to have any of the head families as an enemy. I'll warn you now; don't anger the village heads. If you do, then you're on your own." Nathan was now right in front of Toshiro, looking down at him due to his height. Toshiro, however, looked back up at him, keeping his face stern. "Not even Ren will be able to protect you."

"It won't come to that. I have done more investigating than you ever have. And I will not get caught. Besides, Ren won't let anything happen to me or my friends." Toshiro was briefly surprised at himself that he referred to the Soul Reapers as his friends out loud. This place was affecting him more than he thought.

"That's what you think. You're not from around here, so you don't know how strong the head families are."

"And how strong would that be?" Toshiro challenged, folding his arms.

"My dad is a businessman."

"And?"

"He's in the black market selling weapons. The head family in our village prevents us from getting arrested. If it weren't for them, I would be pending my Saturdays visiting Dad in prison."

"What?" This time, Toshiro couldn't hide his surprise.

"It's true. Teachers, hospitals, the police, even shopkeepers. All of them reside in the villages. And all of them have jobs in the main city. In other words, the city is under the control of the five villages."

"But…that's impossible." Toshiro protested. "Nobody can have that much power."

"Not impossible. Unlikely." Nathan corrected. "The power of the villages is absolute. If the village head wanted to, they could murder somebody and nobody would ever know. That's just how strong they are. My dad has been selling weapons for more than twenty five years, after all. Hell, if word got out that I started that school fire, then it would definitely be covered up."

_This is starting to sound like some kind of Yakuza movie._ Toshiro thought, mentally sweat dropping. Although, he couldn't help but feel slightly intimidated by how the head families had more power than he thought. And Ren was part of this!

"But, it's a competition between the families too."

"What do you mean?" Toshiro asked, intrigued. Nathan looked away, and Toshiro noticed how there was a sad look in his eyes. The same expression he saw the day of the school fire. The same expression when he was reminded of the head families.

"The power of each family was something that each one competed in in the past. Things are easier now, but that rivalry…it caused so much pain…not just to the head families, but to the villagers, too. And…" Nathan trailed off from this sentence. He closed his eyes. "Well, that would be revealing too much."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Toshiro asked, annoyed that Nathan would cut himself off like that.

"Like I said, I risked my ass telling you that information earlier today. The manager of that arcade lives in one of the villages, you know. If he saw me telling you that information, well…" Nathan trailed off, letting Toshiro figure it out.

"Oh…" Was all Toshiro could think of to say in response. "But, do you still have a strong head family, or whatever it's called?"

"Aside from the main head, yes. There is one family that is the strongest of the five."

"Who?"

"The Conner family." Nathan said simply.

"Oh. Ren's father." Toshiro said dismissively. Pause. "Wait, what?!" Toshiro double taked after hearing that.

"Yeah. It took a few years, but Mr Conner climbed all the way up to the top. Also, Ren's active involvement with the villages, plus her likeability, played a part in that, too. I wouldn't be surprised if Ren was the one to take over the family."

"…" Toshiro said nothing, still reeling from that revelation. Ren had that much power? Why didn't she tell him? Toshiro immediately concluded that Ren would probably say "I didn't think it was important" and leave it at that. She was pretty modest about her status, after all.

"I'm getting off topic here. What I'm trying to say is that you should keep your feet dry. The village heads are already suspicious of you. Don't make things any worse than you already have."

"But all I'm doing is investigating. I haven't done anything wrong." Toshiro insisted.

"You will if you keep this up."

"I don't care." Toshiro said, slowly and firmly. "There is something that the villages are hiding from me, and I intend to find out what. Nothing is going to stop me from finding out the truth. Not you. Not the village heads. Not anybody."

"Suit yourself." Nathan shrugged. "Don't say I didn't warn you, though." Taking that as a signal, Toshiro reached towards the door handle again. "But…" Toshiro clenched that hand into a fist after being interrupted again. "If you really think I'm a bad guy, then let me tell you this, Toshiro." The sound of his name made Toshiro look towards Nathan again, annoyed at this small act. However, he realised that Nathan was leaning down to his eye level, their noses inches away from touching. Toshiro found himself feeling slightly intimidated, especially since Nathan had an almost angry look in his eyes.

"What I did…" Nathan started, in a low voice. "What Katelyn did…That's nothing compared to what she went through back then."

"…" Toshiro said nothing, his mind still spinning from what Nathan had told him earlier. And this vague statement only made things even more confusing. She? Who was this she? Nathan straightened up while Toshiro was still processing this information.

"See ya." Nathan said, turning around and walking back towards the bike, waving over his shoulder at Toshiro. He got onto his bike and rode of down the road, disappearing from sight, yet he did anything but disappear from Toshiro's mind. The five families. The power they held. And that ominous statement. They kept spinning inside Toshiro's head.

_The Conner family is the strongest head family._ Toshiro thought. _And they have power over nearly everything here. They're all linked to the anniversary. But, the anniversary for what? And how are the village head's involved?_ Toshiro's eyes widened a little after realising something that he had somehow overlooked. _Could Ren be involved in this, too? It would make sense. She's the daughter of the strongest village head. She knows this place better than anyone. But, if she is then…does that mean she's been lying?_

"Don't be ridiculous!" Toshiro berated himself out loud, shaking his head. "Ren always says how she would never hide things from her friends. Besides, Ren wouldn't lie to me." Toshiro hesitated for a moment. "Would she?" Toshiro stayed silent for a good few minutes. Half of him knew that Ren was the most honest person he knew. But, the other half told him that Ren was still a member of the head family, and she would probably hide just as many secrets as everyone else in this damn village, and all of the other villages for that matter. She wouldn't tell any outsiders about the affairs of the villages. Not even him. Which side of Ren should he believe is the real one? Or were they both the same person? He didn't know. Toshiro looked at the door handle of the village hall. Slowly, he reached towards it, and just as he was about to clasp it, he stopped himself. All of a sudden, he wasn't as eager to go inside as he was before. And he wasn't sure if it was because of what Nathan said or his new doubts about Ren. Instead, Toshiro leaned on the wall of the building and slid his back down it until he was sitting on the cold ground. He looked up at the grey cloud-filled sky. He certainly wasn't going to be seeing any stars tonight on the roof.

BEEP BEEP BEEP!

"?" Toshiro pulled out his cell phone from his pocet. With a frown, he answered it. "What is it?"

"Shiro, it's me."

"Ren? Why are you calling me?"

"What do you mean "Why are you calling me?"? You know why. You aren't in the house. Ichigo and I have finally made dinner and you're not here. You must be starving!"

"But I've only been gone for ten minutes."

"Ten minutes?! Sixty minutes! Get your ass out of the cold before you catch something!"

"Alright, already." Toshiro stood up faster than he wanted to, and he ended up having to shake out several cramps in his legs. It was then that he noticed how dark it had become. He must have spaced out for longer than he thought. "I'll be right there."

"'Kay. Be careful, alright?"

"I'll be fine."

"You never know." Toshiro heard a click followed by a dialling tone. She had hung up. Toshiro pocketed his phone and walked back to the house, his hands in his pockets. Before he turned the corner, he stopped and looked over his shoulder at the village hall. That place obviously held the answers he was looking for. But, after what Nathan said, he wasn't sure if he was going to like it. That aside, why was he listening to somebody like him? Nonetheless, Toshiro turned back around and saw the house in view. With a sigh, he walked back towards it. He had to see if Ren was really involved in this conspiracy.

…

"Woooooooow!" Rangiku exclaimed, clapping her hands together. On the table was a home cooked dinner of several different dishes. Curry. Bolognaise. Stew. Cake. Paella. Noodles. There was even some sushi here and there. Unlike Rangiku's cooking last time, this food and smelt edible. More than that, it also looked and smelled delicious.

"I must admit, you've really outdone yourself, Ren." Rukia said, admiring the food.

"Oh, it was nothing." Ren said with a smile and a shrug. "I've left copies of my recipes in the kitchen. You will never have to worry about food again. Hell, those recipes are so easy, even Rangiku could cook them without a problem."

"Let's not go there again!" Renji said quickly. "It's chow time!" He eagerly grabbed a fork, not caring whether it was disgusting or not, and ate a forkful of curry. Silence.

"Um…Renji?" Ren said nervously. S lowly, Renji's face turned red.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" Renji yelled, just as Toshiro entered the room, only to see Renji running around the table, yelling "water, water" over and over. However, in the confusion, nobody noticed him.

"Here, Renji!" Rukia quickly handed Renji a glass of water, which he snatched and gulped down in less than five seconds. He gasped for breath a couple of times before sighing from relief.

"I was going to warn you that Ichigo added too much spices to the curry." Ren said.

"Um, sorry." Ichigo apologised sheepishly. "The lid fell off."

"Why didn't you say that from the start?!" Renji yelled. "My mouth was on fire!"

"It's alright, Renji." Ren patted Renji's shoulder sympathetically. "I hate spicy food too." Pause. "Oh, god. We have something in common." Ren muttered, a look of dread on her face.

"Oh, really?" Renji grinned. He picked up his fork and scooped some more curry onto it without Ren noticing. "Well…over the lips and past the gums, look out stomach here it comes!"

"Renji, what're you-" Before Ren could finish her sentence, Renji forced the fork into Ren's open mouth. Silence. Almost instantly, Ren was at the sink drinking water from the tap.

"Now you're just over reacting." Ichigo said. Rangiku however, wasn't paying any attention to this, and was munching away at the spaghetti.

"She's not over reacting." Toshiro said, choosing that opportunity to speak up. "Ren has heightened senses, and that includes taste. Anything too strong makes her over stimulated. Even the mildest of spices makes her senses go over the top.

"Yeah, what he said!" Ren gurgled from the kitchen, still drinking from the tap.

"Is this something else to do with White Raven?" Rukia asked.

"No." Ren answered, wiping the excess water away from her mouth and shutting the door behind her. "It's been like that way before White Raven came along. It's complicated, though."

"I still think you overreacted." Renji grumbled.

"I heard that!

"You can hear me, too?!"

"I told you. She has sensitive hearing."

"Right. Sorry, Captain Hitsugaya."

"Nobody needs to apologise. Now!" Ren clapped her hands together with a smile. "Dig in!" The Soul Reapers, minus Toshiro, didn't need to be told twice, and we tucking into the feast, Renji steering clear of the curry. "And when you're done, I want that curry gone, too! I won't tolerate people wasting food. I'm going to tidy the kitchen."

"I'll help." Toshiro said quickly, following Ren into the kitchen. It would be a good opportunity to ask Ren a few questions. He shut the door behind him, and as soon as he turned around, he saw pots and pans floating through the air, cupboards opening on their own, and food flying back into the fridge for another day. Ren, on the other hand, was washing the dishes in the sink, and as soon as she was done, a floating tea towel dried it before the washed item moved back to its respective home. Turns out Toshiro wasn't needed, after all. In fact, he was half hoping he'd end up possessing telekinesis, too. Think of all the paperwork that he could get done!

"Oh, hey, Shiro." Ren said with a smile. "Sorry, but I've got this all taken care of."

"That's fine. I have something I need to ask you."

"Ah, that's right!" Ren clapped her hands together. "I made something for you, too!"

"Eh?" Toshiro blinked. "For me?" Toshiro pointed at himself.

"Yeah." Ren said, going back to her washing up. "It's over there in that green bowl with the daisies on it." Toshiro looked. There was the bowl on the other side of the kitchen. He wandered over to it, and hi eyes widened. Inside it were brown beans coated with sugar.

"This is…" Toshiro started.

"Yeah. It's amanattō. It's your favourite food, right? Ichigo told me. It took me forever to find the recipe. I helped myself to a couple after I made them yesterday. I'll tell you what, that's one way to get a kid to eat their beans!" While Ren spoke, Toshiro helped himself to one and ate it.

"It's good." And he wasn't lying. These were almost as good as the amanattō his grandmother made him, maybe even better.

"Oh, thank god!" Ren exclaimed. She pulled down her sleeves, finally down with the washing up. The remainder of the plates and food went to where they belonged, and all was still in the kitchen. "I brought them in that container next to the bowl. I wanted to give them to you later on tonight, but I thought here would be better." Ren was now by Toshiro's side. He turned around to face her, and she wore a gentle yet cheerful smile on her face. "So, what was it you needed to ask me?"

"…" Toshiro hesitated, touched by Ren's act of random kindness. This was the same girl that he was suspicious of. With Ren's earnest nature and her limitless kindness, how could he have doubted her? Right now, he held in his left hand the snowflake key ring that she gave him. He also saw the bracelet that he got her on her right wrist. He had finally formed a friendship with somebody, and he wasn't sure if he should trust her. Or could trust her. But, it was the small things that Ren did that made Toshiro trust her, and even like her. It made him ashamed that he would think any less.

"Well…"

"I…It's nothing…" Toshiro said quietly, clenching his key ring. "Forget I said anything. I'm going up on the roof if you need me." Toshiro briskly walked towards the back exit in the ktchen that led outside, but was stopped when Ren grabbed his arm. He stopped walking and looked over his shoulder at Ren, who was suddenly concerned.

"Shiro, are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure? Usually when you go up on the roof, it means you have something on our mind."

"Well, today, I have a lot to think about." Toshiro said, giving her a half-hearted smile.

"You do?" Ren blinked. "Oh. If it's about the kiss, then-"

"No, no, nothing like that." Toshiro insisted. "I mean, it's a little of that, too." He decided to cover up his concerns about the villages for the time being. After all, as far as he was concerned, Ren was the last person he wanted to talk to about the villages.

"Well, I'm already over the shock of it. After all, there's always the second kiss!" Ren said happily, winking.

"Right…Yeah…" Toshiro said slowly. At least she didn't know what was really on his mind. He really didn't want to strain their friendship.

"But, if you ever want to talk, you know that I'm here, right?"

"Of course."

"Alright. Well… you'd better go do your thing…" Ren said with some hesitancy, letting go of his arm. After a couple seconds, Toshiro stepped outside into the night, and with a couple leaps and bounds, he was up on the roof. He sat himself down and lounged on his back, linking his hands behind his head. He was right. He couldn't see a single star.

_I hope Shiro is alright._ Ren thought, going back into the kitchen. She went to the kitchen bin and pulled out the trash bag, tying it up with some twisty wire. _I haven't seen him like that since the whole Ryuki incident._ Ren went back through the back door, and wandered around the house, down the front path, and through the gate. She lifted the lid of the bin, threw in the trash bag and replaced the lid again. Ren took this moment to look into the window, where Rukia, Rangiku, Renji and Ichigo were still eating. Renji was balancing a piece of spaghetti on his face to look like a moustache, and Rangiku and Rukia were clutching their sides with laughter, but Ichigo rolled his eyes, but still smiled.

"Well…Shiro said he was fine, so I'll believe him." Ren said out loud, smiling to herself.

"Are you sure about that?"

"Hm?" Ren looked over her shoulder. "Is someone there?" Nothing. In the streetlamp lit street, there wasn't a soul to be seen. No cars going by. No joggers. Not even any late night dog walkers. "Hellooooo?" Ren called out, turning around with her back to the house.

"Over here."

"!" Ren looked to her left. There was a girl there she had never seen before in the village or anywhere else. She looked as though she was the same age as Ren, but she could just tell that this girl was definitely younger than her. She had long black hair with two red bows at the bottom, dividing it into low pigtails, and two smaller pigtails stuck out of her head. She wore a black corset with a detached collar around her neck that sported a small red tie, a pair of black bell sleeves on her arms and a red skirt with black stripes, while her feet had knee high black boots. But, what stood out the most for Ren was her piercing green eyes and the sad look on her face. And Ren may not have realised this, but this girl was Epona.

"Who're you?" Ren asked.

"Who am I?" Epona said, while Ren noticed how even her voice sounded sad. "I am somebody who knows a lot about you."

"You do? Have we met before?"

"No."

"Ah, you must be new in the other villages." Ren said with a small smile. "Did you hear about me from the others in your village?"

"I guess."

"I see. Which village are you from?"

"Does it matter?"

"No, I guess not. Sorry."

"…" Epona said nothing. It was as she feared. Ren had a rare incorruptible pureness inside of her. But, she had a job to complete, and she had to taint that white purity black with darkness no matter what it took.

"So, what's your name?" Ren asked.

"That is not important right now. For now, I have something important to tell you."

"Important?" Ren repeated, surprised.

"Yes. Come closer." Ren walked forward several paces, away from the house and away from her friends. She stopped when she was in the shadows with the girl and at least a street away from the house. They were completely hidden.

"So, what is it?"

"Listen to me, Ren." Epona started. "You mustn't trust anything your friends tell you."

"!" Ren's eyes widened. "What? Why?"

"They are hiding things from you. How can you trust somebody who keeps secrets from you?"

"Well, I admit that Shiro has hidden some things from me, but I'm sure it was for a good reason. He probably doesn't want to worry me. I mean, he is pretty protective, and a lot more caring than he makes out. And, I keep secrets from him too, so I guess we're even." Ren said with a laugh.

"You are correct. He hides things from you because he cares about you. And that is precisely why you shouldn't trust him."

"I don't understand."

"The truth causes more harm than is does good. He does not want you to get hurt. But, by keeping the truth from you, he is causing you to worry. And let's not forget your other friends and your family. Haven't you ever suspected that they have kept things from you?"

"A couple times, yes. But, I'm sure it's with a good reason. After all, the truth may hurt for a while, but a lie hurts forever."

"Precisely. And what has Toshiro and everyone else you have placed your trust in done?"

"They've been just as honest as I have."

"Are you sure?"

"…" Ren was silent. Thinking about it now, Toshiro had lied to her a couple of times. And, recently, she felt like Steph and the others were acting a bit secretive, too. "Do you…Do you really think that they'd do that?"

"I do." Epona nodded.

"But, it can't be…" Ren said quietly. "They'd never do that to me intentionally…right?"

_Yes!_ Epona thought. _I can sense some darkness growing inside her. It's a good thing she's so gullible. Now, to make it grow…_

"What should I do?" Ren asked, partially unable to believe she would ask this of a total stranger.

"There is nothing you can do. Except one thing."

"What's that?"

"Become like them."

"What? But…I can never lie. It's impossible for me."

"You're wrong. In this world, there is no place for honesty. There is only one thing that is true in this world." Epona leaned closer to Ren, their bodies inches apart. A dark smoke floated out of her hand and swum around Ren's body, but Ren didn't notice. "Everybody lies."

"But I don't want to hurt anyone by lying. It's even worse than the awful truth."

"That is true. But, if you lie, then you are protecting them." The black smoke was now level with Ren's head, and the whites of Ren's eyes were gradually filling up with the smoke until they went completely black. "You do want to protect your friends, right? If that is the case, then a lie would be okay. It is only fitting in a world where there is nothing honest and true." Epona took a step back, observing Ren. The black smoke around Ren disappeared, yet it remained in her eyes, while Ren wore an expression that made her look like a doll, her mouth half open. "Don't you agree?" A pause.

"Yes." Ren said.

_Success._ Epona thought.

…

"Ren? Are you done in here yet?" Toshiro asked, wandering back into the kitchen. "I want to get back before Renji wants seconds." Ren stopped talking when he realised that Ren wasn't in the kitchen. "Ren?" He looked in all the corners of the room. Nothing. All he saw that was out of the ordinary was the bin without a black bag inside it. "The front porch." Toshiro walked back out through the back door, around the house, down the path and out the gate. There was the bin. But no Ren.

"Yes."

"Ren?" Toshiro said, hearing Ren's voice. He looked left and right, but she was nowhere to be seen. So, why could he hear her like she was right here?

"Good. Remember what I said."

"I will."

_I know that voice._ Toshiro thought, narrowing his eyes a little. _But…where?_

"Ren! Are you here?" Toshiro called out.

_Damn! He's here. I must leave now before he finds me!_ Epona thought. With that, she sunk into her shadow and disappeared. Ren blinked, and the shadows in her eyes was gone.

"Ren?" Toshiro finally saw Ren a little further down the street. "There you are!"

"Shiro?" Ren said, turning around to face him as he ran towards her.

"What are you doing over here? I thought you were taking out the trash."

"I guess I spaced out. Silly me!" Ren said, bonking herself on the head and winked with her tongue sticking out.

"Who were you talking to?" Toshiro asked.

"Eh?"

"You were talking to somebody. Who was it?" Ren was silent for a moment.

"Nobody." Ren said without changing her expression. "I wasn't talking to anybody."

"Huh? But I heard another voice."

"You must have been hearing things. Now, let's go get your amanattō and head home. Renji can take care of the dishes." Ren said briskly, walking past a stunned Toshiro, who turned around and watched her walk away. He knew he heard another voice. There was no way he could make that up. But, if what he heard wasn't his imagination, then…

_Did Ren just lie?_ Toshiro thought, a stunned look on his face as he continued to watch Ren walk to the house and away from him. Meanwhile, Epona was watching them from the shadows. Satisfied with her results, she turned around and also began to walk away.

"This is only the beginning." She said to herself. "It's easy to get into the darkness. A lie. An insult. A selfish act. Once you taste the darkness, it's hard to stop yourself from tasting it again. The more you taste it, the more difficult it is to leave. Everyone turns to the darkness. And soon, so will you...Ren."

**There you have it! That is Epona's ultimate plan; the corrupt Ren and make her turn dark. But, Toshiro is already suspicious. How will that work out? Will Epona's plan work? What will happen to Ren? Can Toshiro do anything to stop her? Find out next time, although with my current schedule, I'm not sure when that will be. Sorry! Don't forget to check out my Twitter and deviantART accounts, in the meantime. That should tide you over until the next update! Stay tuned!**


	23. Severing Bonds

**Hands in the air if you hate writers block! Cos I sure as hell do! It's been a nightmare! I have totally been unable to write a new update! I mean, I know what I want to put, but they just won't come out! Any strategies? Well, anyway, I'll just let you read this already. You've waited long enough. Enjoy!**

Chapter 21

Severing Bonds

"_Yes."_

_Success. Epona thought. She knew that Ren was the toughest human she had to deal with, but planting doubt into her mind was the easiest thing she had ever done. She was just so gullible and trusting. Speaking of trust, Epona decided to do something about the foolish trust Ren placed in the people she had just met and move it to her._

"_Now that I have your attention, there is something you should know."_

"_What is it?" Ren asked. Her voice sounded surprised and curious, yet her face was expressionless as the shadows danced in her eyes._

"_I'm with White Raven. My name is Epona." After this, Epona heard a shard gasp from Ren. Naturally, she would be surprised._

"_That makes you an enemy." Although the expression Ren wore did not change, Epona saw how the shadows in Ren's eyes were slowly starting to vanish. This was bad._

"_Does it?"_

"_Eh?"_

"_Sometimes, our enemies aren't who we expect them to be. I may be with an organisation that is trying to kill that boy, but I am not your enemy. I am not trying to hurt you. If anything, I'm helping you. In this life, you shouldn't fear the enemy that attacks you, but the fake friend that hugs you."_

"_Are you saying my friends are my enemies?"_

"_Perhaps. I have no way of knowing. But you do. Are they keeping secrets from you? Have they ever done anything bad to you?"_

"_Well…you did say that they have been lying to me…I can't believe it…"_

"_I know it is hard to accept at first…" Epona released some more black smoke from her hands. Again, it circled around Ren, and her eyes became even darker. "…but trust is for the weak and foolish. If they lie to you, then you have no reason to place your loyalty in them. Don't you agree?" There was a short silence until Ren nodded her head. "Very good. But, I'm not like that. I'm on your side. You can trust me, Ren Conner. Do you know that?" Another nod. If Epona could ever feel happiness, she would be smiling now, pleased with how well her plan was going. "Now, I must leave you. But, fear not. I will never truly be gone. I shall return to you, and we can continue this discussion. Alright?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Good. Remember what I said."_

"_I will."_

"_Ren! Are you here?"_

_Damn! He's here. I must leave now before he finds me! Epona thought, and she slipped away inside her shadow, sliding through the darkness away from Ren and Toshiro, until seconds later, she rose up out of the ground and around a corner from the pair. She was close enough to hear their conversation, yet far enough to remain unseen._

"_Ren? There you are!"_

"_Shiro?"_

"_What are you doing over here? I thought you were taking out the trash."_

"_I guess I spaced out. Silly me!" Epona saw Ren hit her head with her knuckle from behind. At the same time, she felt both disgust and disappointment. Disgust because of the cheerful attitude Ren still had, and disappointment from the fact that her darkness hadn't affected Ren's personality. For a moment, Epona thought her plan had failed._

"_Who were you talking to?"_

"_Eh?"_

_He heard?! Epona thought, shocked. But that's impossible! No human should be able to hear me while I'm in the shadows. Then again…Epona narrowed her eyes a little. He isn't an ordinary human, but a Cielvian._

"_You were talking to somebody. Who was it?" A pause. Epona found herself holding her breath at what Ren would say. If her plan had failed, then Ren would just blurt out who she was speaking to without a moment's hesitation._

"_Nobody. I wasn't talking to anybody."_

"_!" Epona let out a small gasp. Ren had lied. That means her spell worked!_

"_Huh? But I heard another voice."_

"_You must have been hearing things. Now, let's go get your amanattō and head home. Renji can take care of the dishes." Ren walked past the baffled Toshiro, who didn't, or couldn't, say anything in response to what had happened. This worried Epona slightly. He had noticed Ren's lies. But, Epona decided to put that aside for now. She knew that her spell had worked. Besides, even if the boy did figure out her plan, it's not like he would be able to do anything to stop her. No light could dispel her darkness. Satisfied, Epona turned around and walked away from the scene. She had a lot of work ahead of her. She had dealt with Ren's honesty and her trust, but there was much more to do._

_"This is only the beginning." She said to herself. "It's easy to get into the darkness. A lie. An insult. A selfish act. Once you taste the darkness, it's hard to stop yourself from tasting it again. The more you taste it, the more difficult it is to leave. Everyone turns to the darkness. And soon, so will you...Ren."_

…

10 days later, 24th February

"Well, Epona?" A man in a hooded cloak asked. It was a forest clearing on the edge of the village Ren lived in, along with her other friends. The man kept his face hidden by the cloak bearing the symbol of White Raven. Epona, however, had no such disguise.

"My plan is progressing as planned. Ren is slipping further and further into the darkness. She is at the point where she can lead herself to the darkness without the need of my shadows. All I have to do is instil some doubt in her, and the shadows already inside her do the rest."

"How long until it is complete?"

"Three days, assuming circumstances don't change."

"Good. That girl will no longer be in the way of that white haired boy. If all goes well, then she could prove useful."

"Sir?" Epona said, confused by the leader's cryptic words. The leader turned his back on Epona and looked through a gap in the branches at the late morning sun.

"That girl is incredibly powerful for a human. I have no doubt that she is linked to Zena in some way, and her power would be a problem for our goal. But, what if we were to have the power of a Cielvian princess on our side?"

"I'd say that would be impossible, Leader."

"I understand why you would say that. However, you have gained that girl's trust, have you not?" Epona nodded. "So, if her darkness is complete, then she will be a valuable ally to White Raven."

"The Master of Knowledge would not agree with you."

"He is not the leader." The leader calmly retorted. "This is why I make the decisions. As I said, if her darkness completely overcomes her, she will make a great contribution to our cause."

"Yes." Epona agreed. "Except there is one problem, Leader."

"What would that be?"

"You said "if the darkness overcomes her". It's not "if", but "when"."

"Are you that confident in your skills?"

"Have I ever failed you?"

"Fair point. Alright. I will count on you. I trust that you will do your task with no hesitation."

"Of course."

"That's a good girl. My ruthless, cunning and deceptive Epona. That I why you are the Master of Darkness."

"I know." Epona said simply. Without another word, the leader vanished from the spot he stood on. Epona was left alone. That was how she liked it. She started off life alone, so it was only fitting that she would live her life alone. Now that her task was almost complete, she would not have to work alone any longer. If Ren really did become an ally, she would be partnered with Ren by the leader. She hoped it would not come to that. If it did, then she would no longer have the solitude that she desired. Honestly, she had never had the company of other people before. It saddened and scared her at the same time. Epona shrugged off her thoughts of solitude and focused on her task at hand. She was almost done, and she was not going to let anybody get in the way of that. If she completes her work on Ren, then she would be that much closer to her goal of a perfect world. Anybody who tries to put an end to her happiness is better off dead. She had dirtied her hands plenty of times before, so this time would be no different. Even if it was the blood of that white haired human.

_Rustle_

"Damn. Where am I?"

"Speak of the devil…" Epona muttered to herself. Without making a sound, she sunk into her own shadow and disappeared. Her shadow moved into the trees, just as Toshiro parted another group of branches and entered the clearing.

"I wanted to think in solitude, but…this is too solitary." Toshiro looked around at his surroundings. Unlike the lush tress that surrounded the villages, this clearing was no bigger than the back garden of Ren's house, and the grass was coloured a pale brown. Among the grass was bits of litter scattered here and there, such as a carried bag of some shop called Morrisons, and a few empty cans of soda, beer or Red Bull. Toshiro could clearly tell that this area had been untouched for a while. He could also tell that he was, by any definition, lost. Great. With a sigh, Toshiro collapsed into a sitting position on the ground. He leaned back on his hands and stared at the sky.

_It's been almost two weeks, and I still haven't found out anything about this anniversary._ Toshiro thought. _Just mentioning the date of March 7__th__ makes people act strangely. On top of that, the villagers are acting different than usual. It would be safe to assume something happened in that fortnight that they'd want to keep under wraps. But what? If it were six years ago, then we've already started it. What if their behaviour and the blank fortnight are related? Maybe Ren knows something_.

"That is, unless I can actually talk to her." Groaning with frustration, Toshiro stood up again. He looked around his surroundings again. Just a few metres away, he saw the corner of a house behind a row of hedges, with a gap leading to said house. Toshiro recognised the hanging basket of green leaves and pink flowers by the door. This was Ren's house. At least he wasn't lost anymore. "If Ren is home, then she won't want to talk to me. I have no idea why, but she's been acting strange ever since what happened at the arcade. I'm sure it's nothing, but was it something I did? Ah!" Toshiro started to walk towards the house, scratching his head as he went. But, he did not notice how his footsteps were different. They sounded like he was stepping on wood, not grass. "This is getting rid-YAAAAAAAAA!" Without warning, the ground underneath his feet suddenly collapsed, and Toshiro found himself falling through the darkness until he landed moments later with a heavy thud. Planks fell around him, along with some clumps of dirt and plumes of dust. The hole was dark besides the rays of sunshine that flooded in, although it seemed like this place had not seen a speck of sunlight in a long time. Toshiro painfully sat up, moving aside planks and coughing from the dust.

"Ow…" He moaned, rubbing the stinging dust out of his eyes. His body ached all over after that fall. Toshiro just about managed to stand up again, but winced as soon as he put weight on his left foot. "Fantastic." Toshiro muttered. Although it didn't feel like it was a broken ankle, it seemed pretty obvious to Toshiro that he wouldn't be able to climb out of this pit by himself. And the last time he checked, there wasn't a person for miles around. This day just kept getting better and better for Toshiro. What he would give for Cielvian regeneration right now!

_Where am I? _Toshiro thought, looking around the dank and dusty surroundings. He felt the walls around him to check how sturdy they were in case somebody were to climb up. The walls weren't that far apart; he could stretch his arms out without any problems, but it would be difficult to fit more than three people in this pit. On the plus side, it didn't look that far up. It was just his own bad luck that he landed feet first and made a messy landing. He felt more walls, more dirt, and…nothing. Where there was supposed to be another wall, there was a gap. Toshiro peered through it. Nothing but darkness. A tunnel. But to where? Letting his curiosity get the better of him, Toshiro limped along the corridor, keeping one hand on the wall as support. The ceiling was low, but high enough for Toshiro to stand upright in. Toshiro noticed how the wall he leaned on went from dirt to brick. This thing was manmade. And judging by the ragged and chipped appearance of the bricks, it was here for a while. Toshiro stopped limping after a few metres. It was getting so dark he couldn't even see where he was going anymore. At this point, he could tell that this tunnel went on for a while. But for how long? And where did it lead to? Toshiro made a mental note to return here as soon as he had a method of climbing in and out of it without crippling himself and a torch to see where he was going.

"All that's left to do is wait for the sun to set." Toshiro said to nobody in particular, trailing himself back to the small patch of sunlight that was the exit. He slid down on the ground, his back leaning against the muddy wall. Looking up at the hole, Toshiro noticed that there were planks of wood attached to the wall thick enough to step on. A ladder. Of course, a ladder would be helpful if his foot wasn't injured, but at least there was a way for him to enter it when he returned again.

"Perhaps you need some help."

"Hm?" Toshiro looked in the direction of the voice. It was the spirit of Zena. "Zena. It's been a while." Toshiro said, voicing what both of them thought.

"I know. How did you get down here?"

"I fell. I have no idea where that tunnel leads, though." Toshiro looked in the direction of the tunnel to show Zena where it is.

"Interesting…" Zena said thoughtfully. "It is not that high up. Why don't you climb out?"

"Weren't you watching? I've injured my ankle. I couldn't climb out even if I tried."

"Right. My mistake." Zena said with a sheepish smile. She bent down on one knee. "Which ankle is it?"

"The left…No, my left." Toshiro corrected himself quickly when Zena reached out to his right foot. Her transparent hand touched his left ankle. To Toshiro's surprise, he could actually feel her hand. As if she weren't a spirit and an actual human being. He could even feel the warmth from her skin.

"It doesn't seem too serious." Zena said. "It's just a sprain. If you had more access to Ryuki's powers, then you could have this healed in no time at all."

"How long would that be?"

"About five minutes is the average Cielvian regeneration time for a sprained ankle. However, you have only ever used Ryuki's abilities once, so it will take longer. I'd say it would take three hours. If you used Ryuki's powers more frequently, this would be different."

"Um…" Toshiro trailed off, shifting his eyes away from Zena.

"Toshiro?"

"Actually…that's not entirely true…"

"What do you mean?"

"I've been having premonitions." Toshiro muttered. A pause.

"How long for?" Zena asked.

"Uh…a month?" Toshiro answered, puzzled. He thought Zena would be mad for keeping this a secret. Zena was surprisingly rational, just like Ren. Toshiro quickly shrugged off his thoughts of Ren, not wanting to think about what was happening with her right now. "I haven't had any for a while, though. They come and go whenever they please."

"Yes, that's usually how they work. Premonitions are difficult to control. It took Ryuki months to master them and be able to have visions of the future at will."

"You're taking this rather well."

"Why would I take it another way?" Zena asked, an innocent look on her face that Toshiro knew all too well.

"Never mind."

"Well, in that case, it will take an hour and a half for this to heal."

"Well, it's better than three hours." Toshiro said half-heartedly, dejected that he'd be stuck down here for that long.

"But, you have me here."

"Are you saying you can get me out of here?"

"Precisely." Zena said with a smile. "Ren isn't the only one with a healing ability."

"…" Toshiro looked away after hearing Ren's name.

"Is something wrong?" Zena asked, noticing Toshiro's behaviour.

"It's…nothing…I'll explain later." Toshiro stood up, keeping one hand against the wall. "Just help me out of here."

"I think you'll be fine."

"Um, hello. Sprained ankle."

"What sprained ankle?" Zena said with a smirk.

"Wha…?" Toshiro looked down, and realised that, sure enough, he was standing on both feet. And he was in no pain. Zena had healed him without his realising it. She was fast. "I'll um…I'll just be climbing up, then." Toshiro said sheepishly.

"You're welcome." Zena said with a smile as Toshiro climbed up the makeshift ladder, which was surprisingly sturdy considering how un-kept this place was, and was back in the light in less than ten seconds. Zena disappeared for a second, and she reappeared beside Toshiro. "Now, I believe you have something you need to explain to me. About Ren, that is."

"It's nothing." Toshiro insisted, brushing the dirt off his clothes. Zena folded her arms. "Okay, it's more than nothing. It's just…Ren's been acting odd. No, more than odd. It's like she's not…herself."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know. She seems different, and I don't know why." Toshiro shook his head. "But, I'm sure she'll get over it soon. Changing the subject, I have something I want to ask you."

"What is it?"

"Do you know anything about the date March 7th in the year 2006?"

"Um…no, I can't say I do." Zena answered.

"Damn…" Toshiro muttered.

"But…I can tell you one thing."

"What's that?"

"Well, it's hard to describe. I wasn't able to see anything that happened on that date. However, for a few days, I felt as though my powers were being forced to act before their time. In fact, that person wasn't even sure what was happening."

"Was it Ren?"

"Maybe."

"So she might be linked to this after all." Toshiro thought out loud. "I have to…hang on a second."

"What?"

"Why are you in Ren's uniform?" Toshiro asked, pointing at Zena. It was difficult to see in the tunnel, but now that they were in the light, Toshiro could clearly see what Zena was wearing. It was the long black skirt and striped blouse of Ren's sixth form uniform at her school.

"Well, um…As a spirit in Ren's necklace, I am a part of her. Therefore, I wear what she wears." Zena said nervously, not liking the tone in Toshiro's voice.

"But she wouldn't be wearing her school uniform unless…" Silence. "Unless school opened up again! Damn it, why didn't she say anything!?"

…

A hasty clothes change and a bus ride later

"Well, here we are again." Steph said with a sigh, collapsing back on a blue chair in the common room, where she, Tom and Nathan were the only ones inside.

"It feels like forever since we were last here." Tom said, looking around the room as if he stepped into it for the first time.

"Yeah, but it still looks exactly the same." Nathan moaned, shoving his hands in his pockets as he leaned on the wall.

"You mean besides that new paint smell?" Steph asked.

"Look, Nathan, you need to avoid talking about the fire for now. We're lucky the village leaders bought that story about the gas leak. If they found out about you causing it, then we're screwed." Tom said, looking directly at Nathan.

"Yeah, yeah." Nathan said dismissively. "Even if they found out, they'd still cover for me."

"Why?" Steph asked, curious.

"You know why."

"Oh…right." Steph trailed off, remembering something from the past.

"Look, I'll be fine, so stop worrying about me."

"Nathan, I couldn't care less about you, but Ren wants to make sure you're safe, so I'll hold my tongue about what happened. If they knew what was really going on-"

"That's just the thing." Nathan interrupted. "They do know what's going on."

"What are you talking about?" Tom asked.

"Like I said, you both know what I'm talking about."

Meanwhile, outside the common room, Toshiro was rushing to the door, and reached for the handle. He had some serious bones to pick with Ren's friends and the Soul Reapers.

"We all know what I'm talking about."

"Hm?" Toshiro paused for a moment, wondering what Nathan was going on about. Not that he cared much.

"Nathan, don't bring that up here." Steph's concerned voice said.

"No. I have a right to talk. I've been silent for six years, but I'm getting sick of it. Everything I've done has been for one purpose, and I just don't want to do it anymore."

"You don't?" Tom said, confused.

"Of course I don't! Why else do you think I've had my friends do the dirty work?! Why do you think I've been giving Ren a hard time?!"

"Nathan." Tom said in a low voice, clearly showing that he was angry. "Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?"

"Yes, but what about me?"

"What about Ren!?"

"Guys, calm down." Steph stepped between the boys, gently moving them apart. "I understand how both of you are feeling, but we have to do what we have to do. Tom, you and I are Ren's friends. We stick together, no matter what."

"…" Tom said nothing, glancing away from Steph.

"And Nathan…" Steph looked at Nathan, who wore a scowl on his face. "Like it or not, you have a role, and it needs to be fulfilled."

"Fine." Nathan scoffed. "But, I'm not getting my hands any dirtier than they already are. My boys will do the rest. I'm staying out of it. That's all I want."

"As long as it's linked to you, it's fine."

"Yeah."

"…" Toshiro was silent, thinking about what he'd just heard. What were they talking about? A role? What role would that be? But, what surprised him the most was the fact that Nathan had genuine remorse for his past actions. But, he still felt like he couldn't forgive Nathan for what he did to Ren. But, what reason did he have to provoke Ren? He had to find out. But, he could tell just by listening to that conversation that they would never tell him, an outsider, something so secretive at the drop of a hat. He'd have to find it out himself. For now, he had an explanation to dig out of them, so without further hesitation, Toshiro entered the common room.

"Oh, hey, Toshiro." Tom said with a smile, completely disregarding the previous conversation.

"Oh, you look a mess. There's dirt on your face. Here, let me get that." Steph licked her fingers and rubbed off the dirt on Toshiro's cheek.

"I've got it, I've got it." Toshiro brushed off her hand and rubbed the rest of the filth off his face, embarrassed. He certainly wasn't going to tell them about his little misadventure inside a tunnel.

"Yo." Nathan said. But, Toshiro didn't even consider acknowledging the greeting, although it didn't stop him from noticing a sting of hurt in Nathan's eyes, but he didn't care.

"Why are you late?" Tom asked.

"That's what I want to know. How come I didn't know school was back on?"

"Eh?" Steph blinked, surprised.

"Well, you should have known." Tom said, puzzled. "We all got the letter."

"What letter?"

"A letter was sent to our homes telling us that school was back on. Ren got it, and she said that she told you."

"Ren told me?" Toshiro repeated, knowing full well that it wasn't true. Something was wrong.

"Yes. She said to us that she'd tell you." Tom reaffirmed what Steph just said. "She told all of us. The Soul Reapers. Katelyn."

"Even me." Nathan said, pointing at himself.

"That doesn't make any sense." Steph protested. "If Ren told Toshiro, then he'd be here on time."

"Yeah, he'd probably have walked in here with Ren and Ichigo and all the others."

"Yet here he is, late and confused. Which means…" Nathan trailed off.

"She lied?" Nathan, Tom and Steph said at the same time.

"Rrrr! That's it!" Toshiro growled in frustration, turning on his heel and marching back to the door.

"Toshiro, where are you going?" Steph asked.

"To find Ren. I'm getting an explanation out of her." Toshiro answered, pausing in the open door.

"What's the big deal? It's not like it was a big lie. It was convincing." Nathan protested.

"Exactly!" Toshiro exclaimed, and he left the common room, slamming the door behind him. The three humans exchanged some confused looks. Toshiro wasn't the only one who was getting suspicious.

…

"Ren! Ren, where are you?!"

"Huh?" Rukia poked her head out of the computer room by the common room, and was met with Toshiro, who did not look very happy. "Is something wrong, Captain Hitsugaya?"

"Kuchiki, where's Ren?"

"She went that way." Rukia pointed down the corridor to her left. "I think she's in a private lesson right now."

"Right!" Toshiro, without another word, left Rukia and went in the direction she pointed in, leaving her looking bewildered and confused. She saw Ichigo leave one of the classrooms, and she hoped that he might be able to stop Toshiro from bursting a blood vessel.

"Toshiro? Why are you in so late? Didn't Ren tell you school was back on? If you're looking for her she's in that room there. Hey, what's going on? Why do you look so mad, Toshiro?" Ichigo said without pause as Toshiro kept ignoring him.

"Not now, Ichigo!" Toshiro snapped, marching past Ichigo without a backwards glance. He was seriously not in the mood to correct Ichigo on how to address him. Not that he paid attention to it.

"What's eating him up?" Ichigo asked Rukia, pointing after Toshiro.

"I'm not sure. Lieutenant Matsumoto, Renji, what's wrong with the captain?" Rukia called in the computer room.

"Hell if I know. But whatever it is, Ren's definitely pissed him off more than usual."

"Hmmmm?" Rangiku peered around the door frame after her captain, who was checking all the classrooms one by one, all while calling out Ren's name. She leaned forward to get a better look while shielding her eyes, obviously not noticing how her large breasts were directly on top of Rukia's head. And it took Renji moving Rukia out the way to prevent her from suffocating.

"Hey, have you seen Toshiro?" Steph asked, coming out of the common room with Nathan and Tom. The Soul Reapers all pointed at Toshiro. He had finally found the right classroom.

"What the hell, Ren?!" Toshiro yelled as he entered the classroom, slamming the door behind him. Silence.

"We should probably leave him alone." Rangiku said out loud.

"Yeah, we probably should." Nathan agreed, having learnt the hard way what Toshiro was like when he was really angry. His cheek hurt just thinking about it. The humans and the Soul Reapers slowly looked at each other. In one second, they had all dashed to the classroom Toshiro just entered, and they were all pressing their ears to the door, trying to listen in.

…

"What the hell, Ren?!" Toshiro yelled, slamming the door behind him. Ren was sat all alone in the empty classroom, reading a book about Shakespeare. But, when Toshiro entered the room, she didn't put the book down. She didn't greet him. She didn't even blink. She simply turned the page of her book and carried on reading. And that only infuriated Toshiro even more. "Hey! I need to talk to you! Didn't you hear me calling?!"

"Yes." Ren answered simply.

"Then why didn't you say "I'm in here." Or something?!"

"Because I was ignoring you. Now kindly leave. I'm busy."

"Wha-" Toshiro was bewildered at what Ren was saying. She would never talk back at him. Well, she would, but not like this. She was never this…rude. "Ren, I said I need to talk to you." Toshiro said, lowering his voice after being stunned by Ren's attitude.

"And I said I'm busy. Also, I requested for you to leave."

"Look, I just need to know why you didn't tell me school was back on. I almost missed it."

"But you're here, aren't you?"

"…" Toshiro looked away, frustrated. At least Ren's trait of pointing out the obvious wasn't gone.

"Besides, since when do you care about showing up to school?"

"That's not important. What's important is that you told the others you'd let me know, and you didn't." Ren said nothing, merely turning a page in her book. With a growl, Toshiro marched over to Ren and slammed his hand on the back of the book so that the cover was face up. Now, he had Ren's full attention, although she didn't really react to what he just did, either. "You lied, Ren. And they believed you."

"So?" Ren said without looking up.

"What I'm saying is something is going on with you. And I don't think I like it. You've been acting like this ever since the arcade. I've been holding my tongue, but now I've had enough. What's going on? Why are you lying? Why are you pushing your friends away? And what's making you change?" In response, Ren stood up. She pried her book away from Toshiro's hand and without another word, moved away from the table and went to the door. But, Toshiro was having none of it. "Stop ignoring me!" Toshiro yelled, grabbing Ren's arm. Ren stopped walking and looked over her shoulder at Toshiro.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She said harshly. "It was your own fault for not knowing in the first place. So stop pointing fingers at others to hide your own flaws. Now let go." Toshiro said and did nothing. As soon as Ren looked at him, he had completely forgotten what he was going to say. He had never noticed it in these last few days, but Ren had changed on the outside as well as the inside. Before all this started, Ren had the brightest and happiest eyes he had ever seen, and she had a smile to match. But, now that he knew something was wrong, and now that he was finally able to have some form of conversation with her, he could see that something was clearly different. There was barely any light in Ren's eyes, and her expression was unsmiling, with hints of anger, resentment, hate and a little bit of sadness. That wasn't Ren. That wasn't the Ren he knew at all.

"I said let go!" Ren snapped. A sharp pulse came out of Ren's eyes, and Toshiro found himself flung to the other side of the room, crashing into a few desks and chairs. Ren turned and went to the door, and as soon as she opened it, a group of people fell inside with yells of surprise. Ren stared at them for a few seconds, before she stepped over them and walked out of the room, down the corridor and out of sight.

"What's up with her?" Tom thought out loud, knowing full well that's what everyone else was thinking. They had heard every word and every action, and now, everybody's suspicions were high, especially Toshiro's, who had managed to pick himself up out of the tables and chairs and was miraculously unharmed. Now, there could be no doubt. Toshiro knew something was happening to Ren, and he was going to find out what.

"I'm going after her." Toshiro said, climbing over the bodies of his subordinates and the humans. "If any Feathers attack let me know."

"Um, is that really a good idea?" Nathan said, flexing his shoulder back after standing up. "I mean, she did kind of fling you across the room." But, Toshiro ignored him, which was nothing new, and walked at a brisk pace down the corridor. "He ignored me. Great." Nathan said sarcastically.

"One more thing." Toshiro said, coming around the corner again. "You address me as Captain Hitsugaya, Ichigo." Toshiro vanished around the corner after Ren, and Ichigo felt relieved that Toshiro corrected him again for some reason.

"Seriously!" Nathan exclaimed, throwing his arms up in the air. "Why is he ignoring me!?"

…

"So he is suspicious." Epona said calmly, although inside, she was almost panicking.

"Yes." Ren said in response. "But we both knew this would happen. He's smart. It would be unusual if he didn't realise it."

"True. But, what he doesn't know is my involvement. If it took him this long to realise something is wrong, knowing his need to investigate, it won't be long before he realises I am in White Raven."

"For all we know, he could be eavesdropping right now."

"What?" Epona looked sharply over her shoulder.

"I said he might. You are far too trusting, Epona."

"Tch." Epona hissed quietly so that Ren wouldn't hear. She had said that to Ren not too long ago, and she had the nerve to criticise her. She just couldn't understand why the leader was so interested in her. Thinking about her leader, Epona remembered that she had a task to complete; finish bringing Ren to the darkness and bring her to their side. Her face immediately lost all signs of hatred and resentment and she turned back to Ren. "Ren, you should know that you are almost on the right path."

"What do you mean "almost"?"

"I mean that there are still a few things that I, we must do." Epona quickly corrected herself. "You have proven yourself to be on the correct path, but you are not at the end of it yet. You are ruthless, cunning and deceptive. But, you have yet to eliminate another obstacle."

"What's that?" Ren asked.

"Your bonds."

"Bonds?" Ren repeated.

"Yes. You still associate yourself with those people. I already told you that you can't trust them. And then there's that." Epona pointed to the ridiculous bracelet on Ren's arm that was made of metal frog and crystal flowers. "Why do you still wear that?"

"Well…" Ren said, shifting her gaze away from Epona. Epona narrowed her eyes.

_She's hesitating._ Epona thought. _Not good._ A little black smoke floated discreetly around her right hand. _Should I assist her?_

"You have to sever your bonds with those weaklings. They fight for the wrong cause, and make battles quick. However, mercy is a mistake that you correct."

"Yes it is." Ren said, and Epona saw a few shadows dancing in the whites of Ren's eyes.

"You have many traits of a great warrior. A warrior that we could use."

"We?"

"Yes. Our leader wishes to see you. If he likes what he sees, then you may assist us in our goals. Your power will never be taken for granted, and you will become greater than you can imagine. You are so close to that goal…" Epona eyed how the shadows were filling up in Ren's eyes. Reassured, Epona made the smoke around her hand disappear. "…and even now, you are almost at the point where we can consider you one of us."

"…" Ren said nothing, but Epona could clearly tell she was thinking about it.

"So? What do you say?" Epona asked, half hoping she would say no.

"Okay."

"Right." Epona said briskly, hiding her surprise. She turned around, ready to walk away. "I must leave you now. Remember; you do not need bonds. Friends are for those who sincerely wish to be held back by their goals. Sever the ties you have made, and my work will be done."

"Yes." Ren nodded.

"I shall return tomorrow at the same spot." Epona started to walk away, and as soon as she walked several paces into the shadows of the school building, she disappeared, leaving Ren alone. She looked at the bracelet on her arm and pulled it off, letting it sit on her palm. She didn't know herself why she kept it. It just seemed like, for some reason, this was important to her. Like somebody precious gave it as a gift. But now that she had spoken with Epona, she felt different. She clenched the bracelet. It was now nothing more than a bit of metal on elastic.

"I don't need bonds." Ren muttered to herself. "I don't need them!" She yelled, and with a mighty swing of her arm, she threw the bracelet away, where the crystals caught the sunlight briefly, and then it vanished over the rooftop. The bracelet was gone, and with it, all feelings of friendship and love. Ren stood there, watching the place she threw the bracelet, as shadows filled the whites of her eyes.

…

"Ren!" Toshiro called out. "Ren, are you here?!" No response. He was at the front of the school building, and there was nobody around. No cars. No pedestrians. And no Ren. "Damn. Where did she go?"

_Clink!_

"Hm?" Toshiro stopped walking after hearing that sound. It sounded like metal. And it sounded close. That was when Toshiro saw something lying on the ground gleaming brightly, just a few inches from his feet. Toshiro got down on one knee for a closer looked. His eyes widened. It was a bracelet. And not just any bracelet. It was one he recognised.

"This is…" Toshiro started, picking it up. He was right. It was the same bracelet he got for Ren just a few weeks ago. And it was lying here on the ground. Did Ren…throw it? Toshiro checked the bracelet for any damage. No marks. No missing crystals. No chips in the paint. It was a little dirty, but fine. But still…

"Why is this here?" Toshiro asked nobody. He looked around the area, half thinking that Ren dropped it without realising it. Although, things being what they are, he thought that the idea of Ren throwing it away was more believable, even though he hated the idea of Ren doing that. "At any rate, I have to find her." Toshiro decided, standing up again. He heard footsteps come his way. He looked to his left. It was Ren. She was walking towards him, but her expression was unsmiling, and she showed no signs of stopping.

"Ren. I was just going to look for you, but now that you're here, there's something you need to know. I think something might be causing what's happening to you." Ren continued to walk towards Toshiro, and was mere feet away from him. "I'm not sure what it is, but maybe you can fill me in on a few details. Oh, yeah. And, I found this on the ground." Toshiro was about to produce the bracelet, but stopped himself. Ren was still walking towards him, and if she didn't stop, she could very well walk past him. "Ren, are you listening?" Toshiro asked, raising a hand ready to stop her. But, Ren was already right next to him.

"Get lost, you annoying brat." Ren said coldly, and with that, she walked past Toshiro, out of the school gate and out of sight. Toshiro, on the other hand, didn't do anything. He was still standing there, his hand raised to stop somebody who was already gone. Ren had called him a brat? And annoying? It was like she was treating him as though he were a stranger, even though they have known each other for so long. But, what hurt more was the way Ren addressed him. It wasn't by his name, or his rank. She didn't even call him Shiro like she usually would. Now he understood a little of how Ren felt when he wouldn't call her by her name. But this wasn't the time for regret. Toshiro had to go after Ren. He pocketed the bracelet, turned around…and stopped himself. The streets looked incredibly empty. No cars. No citizens. Nothing. Immediately, Toshiro knew what this meant.

"A Feather." Toshiro narrowed his eyes a little. He got out his phone, activated the speed dial and brought it to his ear. "Rangiku, get the others ready. I think Feathers are going to attack the city. Spread out and if you find any Feathers, destroy them. And don't forget to collect their cores.

"Understood, Captain." Rangiku's voice said.

"Alright. You search the north. Kuchiki can check the south. Ichigo takes the east, and Renji will have the west of the city. I'll deal with the centre. If you don't find any Feathers in 20 minutes, meet me at King's Square. Is that clear?"

"Clear as mud, Captain!" Rangiku said cheerfully.

"What?" Toshiro raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, it's just something Steph said. See you later!"

"Honestly…" Toshiro muttered, hanging up. Putting the phone away, he dashed out of the school gates towards the city centre. Maybe he'd be able to find Ren while he was at it.

…

20 minutes later, King's Square

Toshiro stood in the middle of King's Square with his hands in his pocket, but alert for the first signs of trouble and for his comrades to get back. This place brought back the memory of when Ren saved his life, albeit accidentally. Just what was going on to make her change?

"Captain!"

"Rangiku." Toshiro said, looking to his left, and spotting Rangiku running towards her. "Did you find anything?"

"No. Nothing."

"Same in my area." Renji said, jumping down from the roof of a nearby building and landing squarely beside Toshiro. He straightened, and Toshiro noticed how he was in his Soul Reaper guise.

"Renji, why are you a Soul Reaper?" Toshiro asked, puzzled.

"Oh, this?" Renji tugged at the sleeve of his kimono. "Ren gave us our powers back, right? Well, thanks to those Amber things Dixie gave us, I can leave my Gigai with a replica of my soul inside it, so nobody knows I'm gone."

"Oh!" Rangiku tapped a fist on her palm. "So THAT'S what those are for!"

"Rangiku, weren't you listening?" Renji asked with a sigh, shaking his head.

"That doesn't matter right now. Where are Rukia and Ichigo?" Toshiro asked.

"Here!" Ichigo flash stepped behind Toshiro, and Rukia wasn't too far behind, flash stepping beside Renji.

"Did you find anything?"

"Nothing, sir."

"Yeah, there's not a single Feather in sight."

"Eeeeh? That's odd. Where did the Feathers go?" Rangiku said thoughtfully, tapping her chin and starring up at the sky.

"But I know they're here somewhere. There's not a single human being for miles. Speaking of human beings, none of you happened to see Ren, did you?"

"…" All the Soul Reapers shook their heads.

"I thought she was with you, Toshiro."

"Well, she's not. Anyway, did any of you see anybody else in the city?" Toshiro asked, quickly changing the subject. If Ren wasn't here when Feathers were going to attack any minute, then it was likely that she won't come at all. So, they would have to deal with the Feather's themselves. If they showed up.

"Yeah. I saw lots of them." Renji said.

"Me too."

"And me."

"I saw some people as well."

"So that means…they're here in the centre somewhere." Toshiro glanced around him. "But where?"

"Look, let's just call Ren. She'll know what to do. Toshiro, you have her number, right?"

"Yeah, I have it." Toshiro got out his phone, and prepared to activate the speed dial.

"_Get lost, you annoying brat."_

"…" Toshiro hesitated, staring at the screen of his phone. If Ren was that dismissive over him, then maybe she wouldn't even pick up her phone if she knew it was him calling.

"Well? Aren't you going to call her Captain?" Rangiku asked, noticing how her captain was deep in thought. Toshiro responded by pocketing the phone.

"Listen, there's something you need to know." Toshiro said. He had to tell them about Ren's behaviour. Maybe they could make some form of sense out of it, because he sure as hell couldn't.

"What is it, Captain Hitsugaya?" Rukia asked. However, nobody noticed when a charm dropped down behind Rangiku. Almost as soon as it made contact with the ground, it glowed white and started to change shape, getting bigger with each second.

"I'm not sure how to put this, but something strange is going on with Ren."

"Hmmm, I have noticed something is a little off with that girl. So, what's the problem?"

"Well…" Toshiro started, turning to face Rangiku, and that's when he saw the Feather. A blue one with black stripes and a forked tail. It opened its mouth slowly, and Rangiku pulled a face of disgust at the strange yet disgusting smell she caught a whiff of. "Rangiku, watch out!"

"Huh?" Rangiku looked over her shoulder, and spotted the Feather that was so close to her, if it had a nose, it would be touching hers. Rangiku could only stand there in shock as the Feather's mouth went over her head.

_SLASH!_

The Feather was motionless, making occasional grunts. Instinctively, Rangiku backed away slowly just in case she might provoke it. No sooner had she moved away, there was a gush of grey blood from the Feather's neck, and its head fell to the ground, followed shortly by the body, before it glowed and turned to ashes.

"What was that?" Rukia wondered, looking around for a saviour. Then, her eyes fell upon Ren. She was standing just in front of Rangiku, her Lightning Shackles shining on her wrists and ankles, and her katana dripping with grey blood.

"Ren! Thanks a bunch! You saved me!" Rangiku said happily. "Wow, that was a close one!"

"Be quiet."

"Eh?" Rangiku stopped cheering, taken aback.

"I did not save you for any personal feelings. I simply went for a walk, and that Feather got in my way. Don't get the wrong idea."

"Um…okay." Rangiku said slowly, not sure how to react, although she did side step towards Toshiro.

"Are you alright?" Toshiro asked. He was surprised that Ren actually showed up, but as he thought, it was a coincidence. Although, if it wasn't for her, Rangiku would surely be dead, since he was too distracted to notice the Feather. He had to thank Ren for that much, even if she didn't mean to save Rangiku.

"I'm fine."

_Clink! Clink! Clink clink clink!_

"What?" Toshiro heard the sound of metal, and immediately dreaded what was to come. The sound of metal hitting the ground where a feather just was can never be good. And he was right. They all morphed into Feathers, each one more different than the last.

"Feathers!" Renji placed her hand on the hilt of his sword, ready to fight, as did Rukia and Ichigo.

"Stay right where you are." Ren said loudly before the other Soul Reapers had a chance to do anything. Ren raised her sword up and pointed them at the Feathers. "I can handle them myself."

"Well, you have dealt with much bigger before." Ichigo reasoned, letting go of Zangetsu. "And it's only about thirty. Alright, I'll let you have them, Ren."

"…" Ren said nothing, and slowly and calmly walked towards the Feathers, who growled and roared at her.

_What's wrong with me?_ Toshiro thought to himself. _Ren's dealt with Feathers before, and with far bigger numbers. So, why do I get a bad feeling?_

"RAWR!" One Feather, a green one with blue stripes, let out a particularly loud roar, and charged towards Ren, who still remained calm, and slowly raised her sword up as the Feather leapt up to pounce on her. Then, with one swift slash, the Feather's front legs were swiftly cut off, and gushes of blood spurted out of the stumps left behind as the legs hit the ground and burst into ashes. Some of the blood splattered onto Ren's face, but she didn't seem to care.

"Ha, nice one!" Renji yelled, impressed with Ren's strength, as were everybody else. But, Toshiro was preoccupied with something else. The Feather was squirming and crying out in pain, lying in a pool of its own blood. He expected Ren to go to it a run her sword through its head, but instead, Ren simply walked away from it, deaf to its cries. Something wasn't right. And Toshiro didn't like it one bit. However, the Feathers, ignoring their fallen Feather, went towards Ren, some running into a pounce, others slowly creeping to her. Again, Ren remained calm. Barely even blinking, Ren held her sword in both hands and slashed at any Feathers that happened to come to her, and one by one, they all collapsed behind her, crying out in pain. In no time at all, the ground was covered in grey blood. Ren turned around to face the Feathers, and she disappeared in a flash of light. In an instant, several of the Feathers roared as their tails were either split in half or cut off entirely. Ren reappeared on the other side of the Feathers, covered in fresh splatters of Feather blood. Some of the Feathers managed to stand up, having regenerated their limbs, and tried to attack her again. But, they were met with more injuries and more howls of pain. This cycle continued on for a good few minutes, and that was when the Soul Reapers started to get a little uneasy.

"Hey, shouldn't it be over by now?" Ichigo asked. He hadn't been here for as long as Toshiro, but he knew that Ren never fought Feathers for this long.

"Yeah, something seems a little…off." Renji said. "Is anyone else getting the same feeling?"

"…" Toshiro said nothing.

_Flashback_

"_Well, that takes care of those Feathers!" Ren said brightly, tossing some Feather cores in her palm. Her sword disappeared in a flash of light, and she put the cores away in her small drawstring bag._

"_That was a lot faster than usual, Ren." Toshiro said, brushing a little Feather blood off his jacket while feeling relieved that the Feather blood crumbled and made it easy to clean up._

"_Well, there weren't that many." Ren reasoned, pocketing the bag. "Besides, I like to keep things short and sweet."_

"_I noticed. But, why?" Toshiro asked._

"'_Cos I'm a busy girl. I've got other things to do, ya know."_

"_Yes, but…you always seem to end battles with one blow. Why? Is it because they're weak?"_

"_Oh, hell no!" Ren exclaimed. "These guys are hella tough! I'm just glad my powers are just as hella strong!"_

"_So then, why end it so quickly?"_

"_Because lives might be in danger, and it's best to end it quickly and save the people than drag it out and wait for innocent lives to be taken away before I can get to them."_

"_I guess…" Toshiro trailed._

"_And besides…" Ren turned around to look at Toshiro, a flash of seriousness on her face. "They may be monsters, but Feathers feel pain, just like you and I do. I don't want them to suffer. If I'm going to kill them, then I want to do it as quickly and as painlessly as possible. It's easier on me and on them."_

"…" _Toshiro was struck speechless at Ren's response. It seemed so sincere, especially since it was about monsters. He had never heard of somebody showing mercy to Hollows before, and he thought it would be the same as Feathers. How wrong he was._

"_It may seem a bit naïve and stupid, but that's what I think." Ren said with her usual bright smile._

"_No." Toshiro shook his head. "It's not stupid. Naïve, maybe, but not stupid."_

"_Well, I'm glad you think that!" Ren said happily._

"This isn't right…"

"Hm?" The Soul Reapers looked at the young captain after he spoke up, albeit rather quietly. It didn't take them long to notice the look of fear with a bit of horror on his face.

"This isn't right…" Toshiro said again. "This isn't a fight…" In that instance, Ren sliced through several of the Feathers at once. Some exploded into ashes, leaving behind their cores, but others had the misfortune of remaining and experiencing even more agony, while the blood flew around Ren. Some of it landing on her face and clothes. "This is a massacre!" Toshiro finished. Ren looked towards the remaining ten Feathers, and Toshiro knew he had to do something, so he abandoned all sense of reason and ran towards Ren.

"Toshiro, wait!" Ichigo yelled. Ren, oblivious to what was going on, walked towards the Feathers, and she didn't even notice how a few of them even gave off whimpers. Ren held her sword up with both hands, her Shackles glowing.

"That's enough!" Toshiro yelled, sliding in front of Ren with his arms stretched out. Ren stopped walking, but did not lower her sword.

"…" The Soul Reapers watched their captain and the human, waiting to see how this would play out.

"That's enough." Toshiro said again. "You've won already. The Feathers have already lost their will to fight. Just kill them now and collect their cores. They've been through more than enough suffering. Anything else now is just pointless violence. So, stab their heads, get their cores, and put those Shackles and that sword away. Okay, Ren?"

"…" Ren was silent for a few seconds. She closed her eyes, and she flicked the blood off her sword, raising it up in the air afterwards. Toshiro lowered his arms, relieved that his recklessness paid off. But, that relief was short lived, as Ren lowered her sword and pointed it straight at him. The blade was just touching Toshiro's left shoulder light enough to not leave a mark, but pressed down enough for him to feel the metal through his shirt.

"What does she think she's doing?" Rukia yelled out, shocked at Ren's behaviour.

"Ren?" Toshiro said, shocked at what was happening right now. Was Ren pointing her sword at him? Her friend? This immediately brought back the memory of the time Hinamori pointed her blade at him, accusing him of murdering Captain Aizen. But, she was being deceived. This was different. This time, the girl had full awareness of what she was doing. He could tell just by looking into her eyes. The intent to kill was right there, and there were no signs of hesitating.

"You're in my way." Ren said in a low, cold voice. Toshiro's eyes widened slightly at this, and Ren raised her sword up again. "Move!" Ren quickly brought the sword down, and Toshiro barely had enough time to react. He ducked down to his right, collapsing on his hands and knees, shaken but alive, while Ren disappeared in a flash of light. Toshiro had completely drowned out the sounds of Feather cries and metal meeting flesh. He felt a warm sensation down the left side of his neck.

"Captain! Are you alright?" Rangiku immediately ran to his side, and kneeled down beside him. "You're bleeding."

"…" Toshiro placed his hand to the side of his neck. It felt wet and warm. He was bleeding, like Rangiku said. He didn't manage to avoid the sword after all. The cut didn't feel deep, but it confirmed something to Toshiro. In that fleeting moment, if Toshiro hadn't ducked out of the way, his head would be rolling on the ground by now. Ren had fully intended to kill him right there and then.

"Toshiro, what's happening?" Ichigo asked, now beside him, followed by Renji and Rukia.

"…" Toshiro closed his eyes and took a moment to regain his composure. "It's what I've been trying to tell you." Toshiro said, slowly and calmly. He stood up and turned to face the Soul Reapers, opening his eyes. "Something is happening to Ren, and it's changing her."

"Are you sure?" Renji asked.

"I've had my suspicions for a few days now, but this is the first time in a while I've been with Ren for more than a minute. She's been avoiding me for days ever since we went to the arcade. I'm not sure what exactly is going on, but I can only assume that White Raven is involved. We may be dealing with an imposter, or even an evil clone of some kind. Like I said, I'm not entirely sure."

"Hey…" Ichigo pointed ahead of him, and everyone turned to look. The Feathers were all gone, and all that was left of their presence was a few huge piles of blood and Ren standing in the middle of one, covered in grey blood and her sword dripping. She proceeded to flick the blood off the sword, and it disappeared in a flash of light, followed by her Lightning Shackles.

"I think I'm gonna go with evil clone." Renji said.

"Mm hm." Rangiku nodded in agreement.

"Hey, Ren." Ichigo said, secretly trying to brush off the beliefs that this was an evil Ren they were dealing with. "Thanks for defeating those Feathers."

"You have no need to thank me." Ren said. "Like I said, I was taking a walk, and they happened to be in my way." Ren held her hand out in front of her, and the Feather cores shot into her hand. She got out her drawstring bag and dropped them inside. After pulling the strings tight, she held it in her hands for a few seconds, staring at it. "Here." Ren threw the bag at the group, making Renji catch it. "It's yours."

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"I mean that it is your responsibility to defeat the Feathers and collect the cores. So, I am giving you the ones I have. Now, I'll be getting back to my walk." Ren turned around to walk away.

"Hold it!"

"!" Ren stopped and looked over her shoulder. Rukia had stood in front of the group, a fierce look in her eyes.

"Rukia…" Ichigo started.

"What do you mean it's our responsibility?!" Rukia demanded. "What happened to teamwork?! What happened to us?! And what about your goal of fighting the Feathers to protect the city?! Where did that go?!"

"Us?" Ren repeated. "Don't make me laugh." Ren turned around to face Rukia. "I have no need for such words like teamwork. Everything I do I do alone. Things like friendship and camaraderie are all pointless. Besides, I only killed the Feathers because they were in my way. If any Feathers appeared away from my path, then they are not my concern."

"That's no way to fight!" Rukia yelled. "You can't just kill the Feathers in front of you just because you happened to be there! You have a dedication and responsibility to kill the ones that appear elsewhere in the city! To do the opposite is just naïve and half-hearted!"

"…" Ichigo looked away for a brief moment. That speech rang so many bells in his head right now, and it set him on the path of a Soul Reaper. If this didn't get through to Ren, he didn't know what will.

"Ren, what is happening to you?! You used to be better than this! Just what…" Rukia stopped herself, her face softening up into one of sheer concern. "Just who…are you?" Rukia asked quietly.

"…" Ren was expressionless. Rukia closed her eyes sadly, knowing that her speech hadn't worked. But, she heard footsteps, and felt a hand on her head. She opened her eyes and looked up to see Ren in front of her. This immediately lit up a little spark of hope inside of her. She got through to her. She got through to the part of Ren they all knew! Ren slid her hand slowly down Rukia's head until her palm was touching her forehead.

"Ren?" Rukia said. She felt Ren's hand grip her head a little tighter, and as she looked into Ren's face, she saw a distinct look of malice in her eyes. Before she had time to react, Ren's hand glowed a deep purple and crackled with small sparks of electricity. In a heartbeat, the electricity grew more intense, and in another heartbeat, Rukia was screaming at the top of her lungs. She was suddenly experiencing the most intense pain she had ever felt. It was as though every single nerve in her body was being touched by a red hot needle, and it just wouldn't stop.

"Rukia!" Renji cried out. Ren glanced up at him, and let one of the lightning bolts stray from Rukia and it struck him on his chest. He yelped in pain and fell back, but regained his footing. He placed a hand on the burn mark. "Whoa. That was…painful. It was like some kind of branding iron. And it was only one hit." Renji then understood what Ren was doing to Rukia. Most importantly, he understood how much pain Rukia was in right now. But, if he, if anybody went near either of them, Ren would lash out at them the same way he just felt. All they could do was watch, horrified, as Ren continued to torture Rukia, who carried on screaming and grasping Ren's arm, trying to pull her away and make the pain stop, but she wasn't moving. Eventually, Rukia dropped down on her knees as her cries grew weaker and quieter. Ren narrowed her eyes a little, and the purple lightning disappeared. Rukia stopped screaming, and her arms collapsed by her side as her body went limp. Ren pushed Rukia away from her, and she collapsed on the ground.

"Rukia!" Renji quickly went to Rukia's side and lifted her upper body off the ground, cradling her in his arms. Rukia's eyes were squeezed shut, she was panting heavily, and her face was drenched with sweat and tears.

"If you do not wish to meet the same fate, you will leave me alone." Ren said in a loud, clear voice. Without another word, Ren turned around and walked away, and nobody made any attempts to stop her, since they were both too concerned about Rukia to bother, and also too afraid of experiencing the same thing Rukia went through.

"It's alright, Rukia. It's over." Renji said quietly. Rukia managed to open her eyes weakly to stare up at Renji.

"Renji…" She whispered. She clung to the fabric of his kimono, whimpering a little.

"Don't worry, I gotcha." Renji stood up off the ground, holding Rukia in his arms. Rukia did not protest as he expected her to.

"No…"

"…" Rukia opened her eyes again, staring at Toshiro, who had finally spoken up. His fists were clenched tightly.

"No…That's not her…" Toshiro looked up, his eyes shining with anger. "That can't be her! Ren would never do that!"

"!" This comment took Rangiku back a little, her eyes going wide.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that, Kuchiki. But I swear to you…to all of you… I will get to the bottom of this, and I will bring the real Ren back!"

**So, there you have it! Ren's has gone towards the dark side! I told you it would be worth the wait. I am well aware of how late it is. But take one look at a third year uni student's workload and tell me you'll be able to find enough time to work on this chapter. I'll try and get the next chapter up much sooner, but like I said no promises, what with year three, my 21****st**** birthday, Christmas, yada yada. Until then, have a nice Christmas!**


	24. Come Back To Me

**So, Valentine's Day just happened. And, once again, I got no Valentine's cards. Well, there was a chocolate rose tapped to my door, but pretty much everyone in my block got one, too, so that ain't really something special. Wait, why do I care about that?! Gah, here's the next chapter! *grumble***

Chapter 22

Come Back To Me

"Okay…let's get this straight…" Tom said slowly, pacing from one side of the common room kitchen to another, while Toshiro was sat on a chair watching him pace. He felt like a prisoner being interrogated by a policeman. The other Soul Reapers, back in their Gigai's, were watching the scene from the side lines "Ren has turned evil."

"It's likely."

"And you say she tortured Rukia when she questioned Ren on her treatment of the Feathers?"

"I saw it with my own eyes. We all did."

"Oh my goodness! Are you okay, Rukia?" Steph asked Rukia, concerned.

"I'm fine…I'm still a little shaky, but I'm fine."

"And she tried to kill you." Tom continued.

"This isn't paint!" Toshiro pointed at the red stain on his shirt, standing up. "Look, why are you asking me this? I already told you all what happened today."

"I know, I know." Tom almost snapped back, stopping his pacing. "I just find it hard to believe, is all."

"You think I'm not finding this difficult?"

"But, if you think about it, Ren has been acting weird for a good few days." Nathan quipped in. "Just a few days ago, a kid from Oakworth Primary came up to her, I think he was from the pre-school, and she told him to get lost."

"That doesn't sound like Ren."

"Then she trashed the bike that kid was riding on."

"That definitely isn't something Ren would do."

"We get it! Ren is bad!" Toshiro snapped, baffled at the simple minds of Ren's two human friends. "The point is I have no idea what is making Ren change."

"Maybe it's a-"

"Yes, a clone, I was getting to that, Stephanie. That's one of the theories we've come up with."

"Oh, she could be-"

"Nathan, there is no way Ren could be a robot. That's stupid."

"Actually I was going to say-"

"It would be impossible for a member of White Raven to be disguised as her. An imposter wouldn't be able to use Ren's powers, even if they were Cielvian. Again, you're wrong."

"Wha…" Nathan said, baffled. He didn't even say anything, and Toshiro was acting like he already said it. Plus, he was only thinking about Ren being a robot. He wasn't really going to say it out loud. Or did he say it without realising it? That aside, he wished Toshiro would stop belittling him all the time.

"Anyway, whatever is happening, I'll make sure Ren is back with us."

"What if-" Ichigo started.

"If she's kidnapped, then we'll save her. I'll do whatever it takes to bring back our Ren. And it's Captain Hitsugaya."

"But I didn't even…" Ichigo trailed off. Rukia and Ichigo looked at one another. They were starting to notice Toshiro's behaviour, too. But, Rangiku had picked up on it earlier, being by his side a lot longer as his subordinate.

"Captain, you've been through a rough day. We all have." Rangiku said. "Maybe you-"

"Yeah, you're right, Rangiku. I should get some fresh air. Excuse me." With that, Toshiro briskly left the room, and the rest of the gang took a moment to exchange confused looks.

"What just happened?" Renji asked out loud.

…

Toshiro let out a loud sigh as soon as he sat on one of the benches outside the common room, leaning his arm on the armrest and resting his head on the palm of his hand. So, Ren wasn't an imposter, which left the possibility of her being a clone. Yeah. That would make sense. That behaviour Nathan described wasn't like her at all. It would fit Nathan more than Ren. Now, the only thing left to do is figure out how to bring the real Ren back. But, he didn't even know what was going on. He thought back to what was said in the common room, thinking that something may be useful.

"Wait…" Toshiro sat up straight. "What _was_ said in the common room?" It seemed like there was more of him interrupting and less of them talking. But, it sounded like they were talking. Only when he thought about what Rangiku said (or what he thought she said) did he realise they never said anything. "What happened in there?"

"I might have an idea."

"Zena?" Toshiro looked up, and sure enough, Zena had appeared sat next to him.

"It seems to me like you've developed another Cielvian ability. In this case, telepathy."

"Telepathy?"

"It means you can read other people's thoughts."

"I know what it means." Toshiro said briskly. "So, you're saying that just now, I read their thoughts."

"Exactly. But, since you were not used to it, you thought they were saying those things out loud."

"Damn, I must have looked like a fool." Toshiro sighed, burying his face in his hand.

"Don't worry. I made that mistake, too. I was soooo embarrassed."

"I appreciate the effort, but it's not making me feel better."

"Well…you could use it to your advantage."

"How so?" Toshiro asked, glancing back at Zena through his fingers.

"You're investigating this weird anniversary in the villages, right? Now you can find out if anyone is lying to you by reading their mind."

"Hey, yeah." Toshiro sat up straight again, seeing the benefits of his new power.

"Plus, if you get telepathy now, then telekinesis will be sure to follow."

"How do you know that?"

"Let me explain. In Cielvia, everybody has powers. Some may be blessed with the Shackles, but everyone has the three basic Cielvian powers. Telepathy, telekinesis and the Cielvian wings. Some Cielvians are naturally gifted in one, and struggle with another, or they're equally good at each of them. Take Ryuki, for example. He was a natural with mental powers, since his power to see into the future was also mental, but when it came to flying, he was totally clumsy. It took him forever to get it right." Zena giggled a little at the memory going through her mind. "And it seems to be the opposite for you. You're a master when it comes to flying, but your abilities of the mind might take some time to perfect. After all, you only just discovered your telepathy."

"I see… That's one way we're different, then."

"No worries. Ren is brilliant when it comes to telekinesis. Maybe she can teach you a thing or two!" Zena said brightly. But, her smile turned into a frown when Toshiro looked away from her. "Toshiro?" No response. "So you're still having problems with her?"

"Calling it a 'problem' is an understatement. You're in Ren's necklace, aren't you? You should be able to see all this. She tortured the Feathers and one of my teammates! And in case you haven't noticed, there's blood on my shirt and a cut on my neck!"

"My god, what happened?" Zena placed her hand on the stain and his neck, the healing glow returning. "Well, the cut has partially healed already, so it's nothing serious. But, what happened to you?"

"Ren tried to kill me when I stepped between her and some Feathers. You should have seen it. You were there, weren't you?"

"You'd think so, but no."

"Care to enlighten me?"

"I've had some difficulty observing recently. Ren's soul is becoming corrupted, and if she stays this way for too long, I may be corrupted, too." Zena removed her hand from Toshiro, the cut fully healed and the blood gone, but Toshiro was too distracted to notice.

"It's worse than I thought…" He stood up, a new determination inside him. "I have to find her and put an end to this."

"You won't have to look far."

"!" Toshiro turned in the direction of the voice. It was Ren, and Zena promptly disappeared, fearing that Ren might be able to see her.

"Ren…" Toshiro started. "I don't know what is happening to you. But, whatever it is, I'm going to bring you back."

"What are you talking about?"

"Toshiro?" Steph said quietly, peering outside. But, as soon as she spotted Ren and Toshiro staring at each other, she thought better of interfering. "Guys, Ren's here." She called in, and the gang instantly crowded around the open door, watching from afar. Toshiro heard their whispers, but focused on Ren. She was his top priority right now.

"You're changing, Ren. And not in a good way. I…We want you back."

"Has it ever occurred to you that I don't want saving?" Ren asked calmly. Toshiro said nothing, although he did look a little alarmed, if not confused. "You're always the same. You butt into the business of other people without asking, claiming you're helping them. But, have you ever noticed how your help makes things worse?"

"I…" Toshiro glanced away, at a loss for words.

"I don't want your help. I don't need your help. And…" Ren's heels clicked together once, bringing out her Fire Shackles, and she walked closer to Toshiro, holding up a fist surrounded by flames. "I certainly don't need you."

"Alright, that does it!" Renji suddenly darted out of the common room in his Soul Reaper guise, his hand on Zabimaru.

"Renji!" Tom called out.

"What?"

"Eh?" Tom looked up, and Renji was staring back at him. Tom glanced from one Renji to another. "Wait… How are you…You're meant to be-Oh, yeah, that's right." Tom cut himself off, remembering the Ambers and how they work.

"Don't you dare!" Renji stepped between Toshiro and Ren, glaring at Ren fiercely.

"Renji?" Toshiro said, surprised at his appearance.

"Oh, it's you." Ren said matter-of-factly, her fireball disappearing.

"If you want to pick a fight, then I'm your man. But we're a team. We can't afford to fall apart." Renji reached into his kimono sleeve and took out the bag of Feather cores, holding them up in front of Ren. "You can have this back."

"He has a point, Ren. Whatever is happening right now, it's getting in the way of fighting White Raven. We need you."

"Is that right?" Ren said coolly. "I thought I made it clear that I had no intention of helping you."

"What do you mean?" Toshiro asked.

"Look, you're the one they're after, right?"

"Yes, but-"

"Exactly." Ren interrupted, stepping closer to Toshiro. "White Raven is _your_ problem." To place emphasis on the 'your', Ren jabbed a finger on Toshiro's chest. "Not mine." Ren then pointed at herself. She stepped back from Toshiro. "It does not matter to me whether any of you fools lives or dies. You scum are all just fresh meat for the Feathers."

"Don't speak to the captain like that!" Renji snapped. "Now, take back what you said…" Renji drew his zanpakuto and held it up to Ren's throat, but she didn't react. "Or I'll kill you where you stand."

"Renji, what do you think you're doing?!" Toshiro demanded.

"This is no time to let personal feelings cloud your judgment, Captain Hitsugaya." Renji responded. "She said so herself. She's an enemy."

"Lieutenant Abarai, as the Captain of Squad Ten, I order you to lower your sword!"

"This isn't Ren. She's just another opponent."

"…" Ren raised a hand up and lightly gripped the blade, bringing the attention of Toshiro and Renji back to her. Slowly, she pushed the blade away from her gently. Renji's eyes widened slightly. Ren had deliberately made a cut on her neck, and it was slowly starting to trickle beads of blood. Ren hadn't even blinked at the incision she inflicted on herself.

"If you're going to threaten me…" Ren started. "You should cut me first. Why didn't you cut me, I wonder? Is it because I'm a woman? Is it because I'm supposedly your friend? Or is it because you're afraid? Are you afraid of me? Are you afraid of the consequences? Are you afraid of harming a woman? That should not stop you. Fear is not something a man such as you should experience. What's stopping you? Doubt? Bonds? Fear? Whatever the reason, you should not hesitate, whether fighting or threatening, as you have demonstrated to me rather pathetically. A man should have no reason to hesitate." Ren narrowed her eyes at Renji. "If you cannot threaten somebody, are you really a man?"

"Why you…" Renji growled, but stopped himself from continuing. Ren had a point. If he cut Ren, Toshiro would freeze his butt off. And, no matter how annoying Ren was, he still felt like she was a comrade. Renji closed his eyes, and without another word, he sheathed his sword.

"That's what I thought." Ren glanced at the door. "You should be able to hear this from there." She called out to them. The other Soul Reapers and humans looked at one another, murmuring things like "Hear what?" and "What's she talking about?" Ren stared straight ahead of her, not looking anybody in the face. "I am here to make my announcement from an hour ago official. My ties to all of you are severed. Consider what used to be our friendship and partnership over."

"What?!" Ichigo gasped.

"Is she serious?!" Tom exclaimed in disbelief. The others were in a state of shock too, especially Toshiro. He briefly glanced down at his pocket, where Ren's bracelet was safely tucked away. Suddenly, Ren throwing it away, and the fact she almost killed him, made sense.

"You may keep the Feather cores, but you will not see me save you from any other encounters. If a Feather bites your head off, that's your problem." Ren turned around and began to walk away. "That is all."

"Wait a second, Ren. Are you saying you won't help us anymore?" Toshiro asked, still unable to comprehend what was going on. "What about us? What about the promise? Did all that mean nothing to you?" Ren said nothing, and Toshiro briskly walked towards Ren. "Ren, I'm not letting you leave until you tel-" Ren spun around and with a swift motion of her arm, she created a line of fire on the ground, cutting Toshiro off from her. Toshiro gave off a small yell, stepping back from the heat. Ren glared at everybody through the flames.

"You are all to leave me alone. I don't want anything to do with any of you."

"But-" Renji started, and Ren glared at him, stopping him from finishing.

"Listen, moron…" Ren brought up a hand glowing with her blue healing glow, only there were occasional spikes in it. She walked up to Renji, holding it up to his face. "I was the one who restored the powers of you and your comrades, and I can take them away just as easily. Only this time, it will be permanent." The threatening glow vanished. "Is that what you want?"

"…" Renji backed away from Ren, knowing that she was serious. Likewise, the other Soul Reapers were silent, clearly hearing the threat. They didn't want to go back to being helpless. None of them did. Ren turned her back to her former friends, but before she left, she looked over her shoulder at Toshiro, who was still a little bewildered at what Ren was saying.

"The next time we meet, we are enemies." She said coldly.

"!" Toshiro recoiled back a little after this statement, wide eyed. Ren turned around, her dark blonde hair flipping around, and she walked away. But, nobody did or said anything to stop her. They were too busy processing their minds over what had just taken place.

"Alright, I'm just gonna come out and say it. That's not Ren." Nathan said, finally breaking the silence.

"I'm with Nathan. That has to be some kind of imposter." Tom agreed, even though it secretly made him rather disgusted.

"But, if that's not Ren, then where's the real one?" Rukia asked.

"Well, we have no way of finding out now." Rangiku said. "She's gone."

"Not for long." Toshiro said in response. "She can't have gone far." Toshiro ran around the fire and out of the courtyard, towards the direction he thought Ren might go in. Renji just watched the captain go, still processing the words Ren said to him. Without another word, he walked back to the group, ready to go back inside his Gigai.

…

"Ren!" Toshiro called out, even though part of him knew Ren wouldn't respond to him. He slowed down a little until he was briskly walking through the grounds, looking for any signs that Ren was here. He just couldn't believe that Ren would denounce their partnership, their friendship, so easily. He had now fully accepted the fact that this Ren that tried to hurt them all is not their Ren. She was a fake. And she was going to lead them to the real Ren.

_Tap_

"Hm?" Toshiro stopped wandering and looked up at the sound. There was a silhouette of a girl standing on the roof, her hair blowing in the wind.

_Ren…_ Toshiro thought, recognising the figure. _No!_ He shook his head a little. _That's not Ren! That's not her!_ Toshiro looked back up at her. _But how can I get the information I need out of her? Wait… _Toshiro started to recall the conversation he had with Zena. He could use telepathy. _Maybe if I try using that power now…_ Toshiro narrowed his eyes a little, concentrating on the thought of seeing into her mind. He felt a slightly warm sensation on his back. Was it working?

"_It's done."_

_Yes!_ Toshiro thought to himself as soon as he heard Ren's voice in his head. _It worked!_

"_Very good. You have reached the end of the path. Now, you may come to the darkness. Come to me."_

"_Yes"_

"_You will find me tomorrow in the park. Be there at eleven. Come alone."_

"_I assure you, there will be nobody to disturb us. I've made sure of that."_

"_Alright."_

_Who is that other voice?_ Toshiro thought, raising one eyebrow. _And where have I heard it before?_ No sooner had Toshiro thought this, Ren vanished from the rooftop faster than he could blink.

"Well, whatever. I'll find out tomorrow. And, I will bring back Ren."

…

The next day, 11am, the park

"Captain, we're ready for your orders."

"Alright." Toshiro responded, speaking into his phone. "Stick with the plan, and if anything happens, you know what to do."

"Yes, sir."

"Right. I'm going in, Rangiku."

"Good luck, Captain."

"Thanks." Toshiro hung up the phone, pocketing it in his jacket. "I'm gonna need it." He looked ahead of him at the black iron gates of the park. Somewhere, Ren, or what looked like Ren, was there. It was up to him to end this once and for all. Taking a deep breath, Toshiro walked into the park, his hands in the pockets of his white trousers, trying to make himself appear to be calm. While he walked, he started to think about what strategies he should use. What would he do? What should he say? And, then there's that voice he heard. He heard it before. He just couldn't pinpoint where or when.

"Hmph. Stupid Rangiku…" He muttered to himself. "If she hadn't slipped and pushed me... That idiot lieutenant…" (Meanwhile, several kilometres away, Rangiku sneezed.) "No. This isn't her fault." Toshiro quickly said, tapping himself on the head with his fist a few times. "Although this did start when those…things attacked. They hate sunlight and fire, so maybe they're made of some kind of dark magic. The question is…whose magic was it? It's not Sentaro; he's back in Cielvia. Dixie doesn't have that power. Caleb and Lina don't have it, either. Although…Lina did say something…" Toshiro held his chin in thought. "There was this black cloud around Ren that day…and that looked familiar, too. And Lina warned us about someone, too. Who was it?"

"Toshiro, is that you?"

"Damn it…" Toshiro grumbled, losing his train of thought. He turned around, and Tom and Steph were right there. "What are you two doing here?"

"Don't worry, Nathan's covering for us." Steph reassured.

"No, I mean, why are you here? I thought I told you to stay at the school."

"I know. But, this is Ren we're talking about here. She's our friend."

"Tom, if you two stay here, you could get seriously hurt of worse."

"Then why are you here?" Tom asked. "You're in as much danger as me, maybe even more. After all, there is a giant targeted painted on your back."

"Yes, but at least I can defend myself if something like that does happen. I you get caught in a battle, you're dead."

"That may be true…" Steph started, looking away. "But, we can't go back to school knowing what you're all getting into."

"Besides, maybe we can help save Ren. We've been with her for years, after all."

"…" Toshiro closed his eyes. There was just no talking to them. "Alright" Toshiro opened his eyes again. "But I can't be held responsible for anything that happens to you."

"Don't worry. We'll be as quiet as mice!" Steph said brightly.

"Where is Ren?" Tom asked.

"She should be in the park at eleven."

"That was two minutes ago." Steph said, looking at her watch.

"Wait, how did you know that?" Tom asked, suspicious that Toshiro would know about a specific time and they didn't.

"I'll explain later. Just-"

"Hey, there she is!" Steph pointed ahead of her. Toshiro turned around. Sure enough, Ren was walking down another path a few feet away, not noticing their presence. But, she quickly vanished when she went through some trees.

"Come on." Tom immediately ran after Ren, Steph close behind, and Toshiro followed them, still questioning himself on why he is letting the two humans tag along.

"Don't get too close to her. She might attack." Toshiro said.

"Right." Tom stopped to hide behind a tree, noticing how Ren had stopped walking when she reached a statue of a man in the middle of the park, where four paths met together around it. Quickly, Toshiro dialled his phone and brought it to his ear.

"Rangiku, I have Ren in my sights. Remember the plan."

"Yes, sir."

"I don't think you filled us in on your plan." Tom said.

"Also, the two humans followed me here."

"Well, they're not doing any harm."

"No, but they could get hurt. They're just dinner to the Feathers."

_Hey, we're right here…_Tom and Steph thought, sweat dropping.

"Look, get Kuchiki here to protect them should anything go wrong. Ichigo is more than enough to cover both his and Kuchiki's areas."

"Understood."

"So, what's your plan?" Tom asked again. Toshiro hung up his phone.

"I have the others patrolling the town in case any Feathers or members of White Raven decide to show up."

"And what about you?" Steph asked. Toshiro didn't reply, instead looking at Ren, who was staring at the statue with her back turned to them.

"I'm going to deal with Ren."

"Bring back our friend, okay?" Steph asked quietly.

"She's not just your friend." Toshiro said, his hand going to the snowflake key ring hanging from his belt loop. "She's mine, too."

"Good luck." Tom said.

"I'm going in. You two stay here." Toshiro walked out of the trees, approaching Ren. On the outside, he looked calm, but on the inside, he was secretly freaking out all over again.

_Alright, stay calm…_ Toshiro thought. _Remember, this isn't Ren. As far as we're concerned, she's just another enemy._

"Is somebody there?" Ren said suddenly, making Toshiro stop in his tracks. Ren looked over her shoulder, and saw Toshiro standing there, just a few metres away from her. "You again."

"…" Toshiro said nothing, although it did sting a little when Ren gave him that cold greeting.

"What do you want?" Ren asked, turning around to face him. Toshiro then noticed that Ren wasn't the only one who was different. Her outfit was different, too. It was a black sleeveless turtleneck with matching black ankle boots and a short black skirt with thin red lines; the only bright colour besides the red embroidered heart shape on the chest of the turtleneck, the red headband in Ren's hair and her trademark necklace.

"I'm not here to fight." Toshiro said. "I just came here to talk."

"About what?"

"Just…" Toshiro paused, trying to think of the right words to say. "I want to know who you are."

"Why, I'm Ren Conner."

"You couldn't possibly be Ren."

"…" Ren was a little taken aback at this statement.

"You're a fake. You're not the real Ren. I'm here to find out who you are and what you've done with the real Ren." Toshiro showed Ren his hand, and it briefly glowed red. "And I'll beat it out of you if you won't talk."

"I don't know what you're talking about. I am no imposter."

"Would Ren insult the people she cares about? Would she cast her friends aside like they were nothing?" Toshiro asked, starting to get angry.

"She does now. What you are looking at is the real Ren you seek."

"That's a lie! I know Ren, and you are not her! Ren is the kindest most forgiving person I know! And she certainly isn't a cold hearted monster like you!"

"Is that right? The way I see it, you can be just as cold-hearted as I am."

"What?" Toshiro said, stunned by this statement.

"You never referred to me by my name. You saw me as a nuisance, a partner in battle simply because I happened to be linked to some monsters you were investigating. Given the chance, you would have ditched me without a second thought. Not only that, but you also kept so many secrets from me." Ren narrowed her eyes. "You think I don't see your lies?"

"Oh, my lies?! What about yours?!" Toshiro exclaimed, amazed at the hypocrisy Ren was displaying.

"You fool. A man believing every word a girl tells them is even worse. Get it into your head; everyone lies."

"You didn't."

"What?"

"You…Ren never told lies." Toshiro looked directly in Ren's blank eyes. "The truth may hurt for a while, but a lie hurts forever."

"…" Ren's eyes widened a little at that statement.

"That's something Ren always said. But then again, you do look like her, so I guess you know that."

"Of course I do. I am Ren." Ren said again.

"You're lying!" Toshiro yelled. "And you are going to tell me where the real Ren is!"

"And I keep telling you I am the real Ren. Now, if you'll excuse me…" Ren turned around.

"Hold it!" Toshiro called out, stopping Ren, although she did not turn back around. "Just answer me this. Those words you said earlier…about friendship…about teamwork…did you really mean it?"

"…" Ren said nothing. Toshiro looked away, a little saddened by Ren's lack of response. He was starting to doubt his theories even more. What if this really was Ren?

_Wait a second…_ Toshiro thought, remembering what he was thinking about earlier before the humans interrupted him. The black smoke…the voice…Lina's warning…It didn't take long for Toshiro to finally put the pieces together. He turned back to Ren, who was starting to walk away, and Toshiro said the one word that he knew would solve this crisis.

"Epona."

"!" Ren stopped walking with a little gasp. He was right after all.

"She's behind all of this. She attacked Ren in this very park, and it didn't work. She also sent those figures to attack me in the arcade. It was all her doing, wasn't it? In fact…" Toshiro narrowed his eyes. "She's here right now, isn't she?" Toshiro looked in all directions. "Come out and show yourself!"

"You're quite smart." A voice said. Toshiro immediately recognised it, and it only confirmed his discovery even more. "Ren was right about you." Toshiro then felt a burning sensation on his back.

_What the…_ Toshiro glanced behind him at his back. It shouldn't be burning. Ren wasn't using her powers, and he wasn't using any power that belonged to Ryuki, either.

"However…" Toshiro's attention was drawn to the shadow of the statue, which was starting to ripple, and another shadow rose up out of it. The shadows fell away when it stopped rising, revealing Epona, who had a look of determination in her eyes. "You were too late in figuring it out."

_That's Epona?_ Toshiro thought. Toshiro thought back to the moment he first saw her sad face underneath her hood. _She seems so…different._

"So…You're Epona."

"Yes. I am a member of the Twelve Masters. The Master of Darkness, Epona."

"So you're the one who made this Ren." Toshiro said, indicating Ren.

"'This'? That's awfully cold of you. She's standing right here."

"Why should I be considerate to an imposter?"

"She is no imposter."

"What?" Toshiro said quietly.

"That's right. This Ren before you is the Ren you know. She is not an imposter. She is exactly the same person, save a few differences I made."

"…" Toshiro didn't, or couldn't, believe Epona. He tried reading her mind, hoping that would reveal the truth.

"_Why won't this stubborn fool believe this Ren is no fake?"_

"…" Toshiro looked down at the ground, feeling foolish. He was wrong, after all. But, if this was the real Ren, then maybe he could bring back the Ren he knew.

"Alright, so she's the real Ren." Toshiro glared at Epona. "Now, change her back." Epona closed her eyes.

"That would be difficult."

"There's nothing difficult about it. Undo what you've done to her."

"I can't."

"What do you mean?" Toshiro demanded, his eyes widening.

"My magic is not something that can be easily undone. Once the cloud of darkness has been cast, there is no light that could dispel it."

"No…" Toshiro whispered, his eyes shining.

"Yes. There is nothing that can be done. Get used to this Ren, because the one you want is gone forever."

"NO!" Toshiro yelled, shaking his head. "Ren is not gone! I can't believe that! I won't!"

"You stubborn fool." Ren said. She walked up to Toshiro. "Even after hearing the truth with your own ears…Even after seeing it with your own eyes…You still refuse to believe or accept it. How pitiful."

"…" Toshiro looked up at Ren after the last word. He was met with the cold gaze of Ren looking down at him, both figuratively and literally.

"That is one of the things I absolutely despise about you. You refuse to believe anybody but your own desires and beliefs. That's how that incident with Nathan occurred in the first place. I refused your help, and yet you persisted. In the end, all you did was hurt the one you were trying to protect. All because you were too stubborn to accept no for an answer. You wanted to keep your selfish desire to protect me, and you failed spectacularly."

"No, I…" Toshiro started, but found himself unable to finish.

"The truth is you're just a child. A selfish, ignorant little brat who does not deserve the rank of captain. I can't believe the others loyally follow you when you don't have a single good deed to your name. You're just a pathetic little joke that everyone laughs at. The very thing I hate. Even now, you refuse the truth because it is not what you want. Selfishness at its finest. Accept the fact that not everybody gets what they want. If you do, then maybe you will still be able to keep what's left of your dignity. And about your last question; did I mean what I said in town? The answer is yes. Why would I want to be friends with somebody so weak? The only thing you'd be good for is a meat shield. Relying on others is just something to hold you back, and having them in your presence is even worse. It would make sense, considering how weak ad helpless you are now. Why, given the chance, I would kill you without even batting an eyelid. Your friendship, no, your existence, means absolutely nothing to me."

"…" Toshiro was silent, looking down and away from Ren's merciless eyes.

"I believe I have made my point." Ren said. "Now, leave this place." Toshiro said nothing in response again, and his hands curled into fists.

"How dare you…"

"Hm?" Ren blinked. Toshiro's fists clenched so hard, the knuckles turned white.

"With Ren's voice…With Ren's face…" Toshiro looked up, his eyes and face filled with rage. "How dare you say those words!" He yelled, and Ren stood back from him, intimidated by this sudden outburst of rage.

"What's going on?" Steph whispered to Tom.

"I don't know." He responded. "It's hard to hear from this far away."

"Who gave you the right to call people out on their shortcomings?! I'm stubborn! I know that! But you don't have to point it out like I don't know! And as for you, you're no better than I am! If you want honesty, here it is! You're a weird human girl who cannot take anything seriously, and you are in a special place that is beyond annoying! There, I said it! The truth hurts, doesn't it?! But, that's not true anymore! I can look past your bad traits, so why can't you look past mine?!" Toshiro didn't notice this, but the ground around his feet was starting to crack little by little the longer his rage lasted. "That's what friends do! They accept one another for who they are! And what's wrong with relying on others?! What's wrong with admitting your weaknesses?! If you can see your weaknesses, then it can help you to get stronger! If not, then you have your friends do what you can't! You used to think like that, even though you never asked for help when you needed it! Don't you remember what you said to me?! You said you would stay by my side no matter what!" Toshiro thought back to when he and Ren spoke on the roof after finding out about his connections to Ryuki, and the words Ren spoke rang through his mind.

"_When thing get scary, you want someone who you know will be with you until the very end. Someone who will not leave your side, no matter what. Well, I'm that someone. I made a promise with you, and I am never going to break it. I'm not saying this because we're going to be comrades in battle, but because we're friends. And friends help each other out. They stick together through good times and bad. They listen to their problems. They comfort them when they are sad or scared. So, you can count on Ichigo and on me. Tell us what is on your mind to lighten your burden. Through thick and thin, I swear that we will always be there for you."_

"You said it was okay to rely on others! And now you're saying that friendship is just a useless burden?! Do you have any idea how hypocritical that is?!" At this point, some dust was starting to rise up out of the cracks around Toshiro, and he still didn't notice. "So what if I'm selfish! I'm not the only one! Your friends want you back! They want the Ren they know! And so do I! I WANT MY FRIEND BACK!" Immediately after Toshiro yelled this, a shockwave burst out, uprooting some of the ground around him a little way and making the cracks spread about six feet, bringing some dust along with it. Epona and Ren stepped back from some of the cracks cautiously. The only sounds that could be heard afterwards were Toshiro's panting breaths as he calmed down after his outburst, and tiny grits of dirt falling back to the earth. Nobody noticed, but a little light had returned to Ren's eyes. However, some dark smoke appeared in her eyes, and the light was quickly snuffed out.

"Did Toshiro just break the ground?!" Tom exclaimed.

"Shhh. Keep it down." Steph whispered.

"Sorry." Tom whispered back. Rukia then dropped down out of the trees, landing on one knee with her hand on the hilt of her sword.

"I came as quickly as I could. What did I miss?"

"Over there." Tom pointed ahead of him. Rukia turned around to look, and saw the destroyed ground around Toshiro as well as Ren and some girl she has never seen before.

"That's not very much to go by."

"We can't hear much from here. Sorry." Steph apologised.

"I can get us closer. Come on." Rukia swiftly waked through the trees, barely making a sound and not letting her guard down for even a second. Tom and Steph looked at each other before they followed the Soul Reaper.

"Huh?" Toshiro noticed the rising dust and looked down, finally seeing the cracked ground. "Whoops." Toshiro said breathlessly, his fists unclenching. "I need to get these powers under control."

"I knew it."

"Eh?" Toshiro looked back at Epona, who was staring intently at him.

"You really are one of them. Cielvian telekinesis is easy to control, but when their emotions reach their peak, it tends to burst out just like that." Epona indicated the cracks.

"Telekinesis?" Toshiro repeated, surveying the damage. Zena was right. He really could use telekinesis. But then it hit him. "Wait, how do you know that?" He asked.

"Because you are the reincarnation of a denizen from Cielvia; a world that co-exists with ours. His name is Ryuki, and he is the bodyguard of Princess Zena, whom Ren resembles." Epona shifted a glance at Ren upon mentioning her name, but Ren kept staring ahead of her at Toshiro, who didn't really show much of a reaction to this news. "Nothing? I was expecting something bigger."

"Well, I've received bigger shocks before." Toshiro said, using that excuse to hide the fact he already knew about this.

"A Cielvian reincarnation right here on Earth. It's unbelievable. Then again, you wouldn't be the first one."

"The first one? What are you talking about?" Toshiro asked, confused at the cryptic statement from Epona. Epona closed her piercing green eyes.

"Very well." Epona turned around so her back faced Toshiro. She raised her hand up and reached behind her head. Toshiro watched, bracing himself for anything that might come, his hand glowing a faint red for good measure. "Look closely." Epona grabbed her hair and shifted it to the side, exposing her back. Toshiro was at a loss for words. On Epona's back, plain as day, were two brown, teardrop shaped markings where her shoulder blades would be.

"Those markings…" Tom muttered, shocked. "They're the same…"

"…as Ren's." Steph finished. Rukia said nothing, staring at the birthmarks.

_So those are the markings Captain Hitsugaya mentioned._ Rukia thought. _Why does she have them?_

"These are the markings that all Cielvians bear." Epona explained. She released her black hair from her grip, letting it tumble back, covering her markings again. Epona turned back around. "You would have obtained them too if you hadn't come here. Once you hit the same age as Ryuki, his powers would appear to you naturally, along with the markings.

_Early?_ Toshiro thought. _I see. Ren's presence when I got here brought out Ryuki's abilities, just like Caleb said. Of course! But then…_ Toshiro looked over his shoulder at his back. _Could that be why my back keeps burning whenever a Cielvian uses their powers?_

"Wait a minute…" Toshiro suddenly realised something. He looked back at Epona. "How do you know about reincarnations? And what you said doesn't answer my question. What do you mean I'm not the first one?"

"It's because you and I are the same." Epona answered simply.

"The same?" Toshiro glanced around, trying to figure it out. When he did, his eyes slowly widened. "You mean…"

"That's right." Epona narrowed her eyes at Toshiro. "I am also a Cielvian reincarnation."

"Another one?!" Tom gasped, recoiling back from the hedges.

"White Raven has one too? Who is she reincarnated from?" Steph wondered. Rukia, Tom and Steph looked at each other, and huddled closer to the gap in the shrubs, listening in.

"However, unlike you, my Cielvian self is nobody exceptional. Nobody significant. I was a little girl. A peasant, if you will. When I reached her age, what few memories she had appeared to me along with most of her abilities. She is a five year old girl named Uma. Like Ryuki, she is frozen in Cielvia, and her powers and memories are within me. She has never acted through me like Ryuki has for you, probably because I am now far older than she is." Epona looked at her left hand, and she deliberately made black smoke float around it. "And far more powerful." The smoke disappeared, and Epona turned back to Toshiro, and he couldn't help but notice how the sad look from before was back. "But, with power comes a price. My powers manifested when I turned five. I didn't see it as a big deal, and would use them without a second thought. I was too young to realise that my power and my being different would create consequences. They were the worst two years of my life. I was tormented. I was a laughing stock. And…I was alone. Except for my parents. They stuck by me. But one day, they couldn't take it anymore. And…" Epona's hands clenched as the sounds of screeching tyres and the crashing of metal ringing through her head. "They tried to drive off a cliff. But, that was when Uma's other power awoke. It saved me. Before I knew what happened, I was back on the road. My parents were already dead. I was alone. So, I wandered. Everywhere I went, I faced more of what I was running away from. And everywhere I went, I saw people who had not seen the darkness as I had. So, when White Raven came to me and trained me, I made my decision." The black smoke appeared again around her hands, but this time, they were around her feet, too, until the smoke shrank in bracelets floating around her wrists and ankles. Epona looked at her hand. "I decided that if people refused to see the darkness, I shall show them the darkness myself."

"Are those…" Toshiro started, pointing at the smoke.

"Yes. The only power that is almost as exclusive as your Ice Shackles." Epona opened her palm out, and some black smoke in the shape of a fireball appeared, flickering as though it were actually made of fire. "I give you the Shadow Shackles."

"I see… So your power is the darkness."

"Yes. And with it, I have helped people to see the darkness of the world."

"Like you did to Ren?" Toshiro indicated Ren.

"You finally understand the nature of my work."

"Yes. And I also understand how what you're doing isn't helping at all. Do you even know what's happened to anybody else you've twisted? You haven't improved anything or anyone! How much of your life have you spent on this evil path?"

"Not enough. Ren would have been a triumph. Still, she's cast out her friends. My work is done. She has me to thank for helping her see the darkness."

"You call it helping, but I call it hindering. I will ask you one last time; reverse your magic on Ren."

"And I will say this one last time; it's impossible. What's done is done."

"You're wrong!"

"_That black smoke you saw today and yesterday? It's hers. If her magic succeeds on you, then there is no way to undo the damage. Just be careful."_

"…" Toshiro looked down at the ground, remembering the words Lina spoke.

_I guess…_ Toshiro thought. _There's nothing I can do. Ren is gone._ Toshiro closed his eyes, fighting back the tears that weren't coming. _Forever… _Toshiro's mind automatically flashed back to the moments he shared with Ren, both the good and the bad. Ren yelling that she wasn't short, but average. Ren beating him at a video game. Ren crying. The last thing Toshiro saw was the smile Ren gave him when they first met.

"_Shiro…"_

"I believe we are done here." Ren said. She turned to Epona. "Release the Feathers."

"Alright." Epona turned around, hiding the bitter expression on her face at the fact somebody besides the Leader was giving her orders. She fired a white flare into the sky from her finger, and it exploded like a firework, scattering and falling all over the city. It wasn't long before the roars of Feathers could be heard.

"Feathers?!" Tom exclaimed. "Aw, man, they just had to release them!"

"What do we do now?" Steph said fearfully, glancing around as if a Feather was going to pounce on them at any second.

"It's alright. Captain Hitsugaya prepared for this." Rukia reassured Tom and Steph. "The others are stationed around the city in case any Feathers attacked. And if any Feathers attack you, I'm here to fight them."

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Steph asked.

"Don't worry." Rukia said with a confident smile, a hand on her sword. "I'm tougher than I look."

"There. I'm going to meet with Etheline in the city." Epona said.

"Right." Epona and Ren started to leave.

"No!"

"Huh?" Ren looked over her shoulder. That yell came from Toshiro, who looked a lot more determined than before.

"I'm not leaving here until I have the Ren I know back!"

"I'll deal with this. You go ahead." Ren said.

"Alright." Epona walked into the shadows and disappeared, leaving Ren and Toshiro alone, aside from the Soul Reaper and the humans hiding in the trees.

"How many times do you have to be told that nothing can be done?"

"You and Epona can tell me that as many times as you want, but I'm still not going to accept it. I'm not going to give up on you, just like you never gave up on me!"

"Eh?" Ren took a step back, surprised.

"I don't know you as well as your friends do, but I know that you always have endless patience for everybody you meet. Nathan, the other Soul Reapers, even me! If you never gave up on them, then I'm never letting you slip away from me!"

"Why won't you let me go?!" Ren exclaimed, losing her temper.

"Because it's just like you used to say." Toshiro smiled at Ren a sad smile. "If I abandon a friend in need, then I have no right to call myself their friend."

"…" Ren's eyes widened a little at that statement, which echoed through her head. She had said that so many times before. To hear it being spoken to her, by Toshiro of all people, was quite strange. But, she couldn't help but feel touched at those words. Toshiro noticed this change in Ren, and when he looked at Ren's face, he saw that some light was returning to Ren's eyes.

_What is that?_ Toshiro thought. _Her eyes…Could it be…Epona's spell is breaking?_

"Ugh." Ren closed her eyes and shook her head. "No! I won't let you trick me!" Ren yelled, crossing her arms in front of her. The Wind Shackles appeared, and when Ren thrust her arms out to her side, a twister appeared around her that was so strong, leaves from trees several metres away began to fly off. The twister itself was only a little more than twenty feet high, but it was still quite powerful.

"Ah!" Tom, Rukia and Steph shielded their eyes from the twigs and dust flying through the air. Rukia placed a hand on a tree trunk and used that to move forward and navigate the wind. Steph and Tom followed her.

"You stay here!" Rukia yelled over the wind. "And hold onto something!" Steph and Tom wrapped their arms around one tree trunk each without asking any questions. "Stay there until this is over!" Rukia walked through the wind towards Toshiro, staggering around occasionally from the force of the wind. Toshiro, meanwhile, was still looking at the twister that Ren was inside, trying to think of a way to get closer without getting swept away.

"Captain Hitsugaya!" Rukia yelled, finally getting close enough for him to hear her.

"Kuchiki?!" Toshiro called out, barely hearing her voice. "What's the situation?!"

"There's Feathers in the city! Ichigo and the others should be taking care of them now! But what about Ren?! What are we going to do about her?!"

"I don't know! We can't go through that twister, and the wind's too strong to stop it directly!"

"Rukia!"

"Huh?" Rukia looked towards the sound of the voice. Renji dropped down to the ground, and almost fell over as he stood up.

"Whoa!" Renji managed to navigate the wind enough to join the pair. "I think a little context is in order here!"

"What are you doing here?! I ordered you to patrol the city!"

"I know, and I apologise, Captain Hitsugaya! But I saw the wind build up and I knew Rukia was around here, so I wanted to make sure she was okay! Speaking of which, what's going on here!?"

"Ren activated her Wind Shackles and none of us can get to her!" Toshiro explained.

"What about the Feathers?!" Rukia asked.

"There are a lot of them! I came here to get you, Rukia! We need some help!" Suddenly, the wind picked up speed for a moment, and the three of them had to stop talking and brace themselves against the wind, barely managing to stay upright. Renji's headband was wriggling a little around his head, until one particular gust of wind blew it right off his head, but nobody noticed this. Nobody except Toshiro, who watched it float towards the twister, and as soon as it was just above the centre, it suddenly dropped down and landed on the ground, not moving and barely even fluttering in the wind.

"Captain Hitsugaya!" Renji yelled. "What are your orders?!"

"Kuchiki, return to the city and help the others! Abarai, you're with me!"

"Yes, sir!" Rukia ran off as best she could through the wind.

"Abarai, that twister has no wind in the centre! If I can use that, I might be able to get to Ren!"

"Are you mad?! She's the enemy!"

"I saw it earlier! The real Ren is still there, and I was able to get through to her! I know it's a long shot, but I have to try! Now are you going to help me or not?!"

"..." Renji contemplated this situation for a moment. So, that wasn't a clone or an imposter? Well, if that were the case, then he wants that annoying human back. He hated to admit it, but life in this world was pretty dull without her. "What do you want me to do?"

Meanwhile, in the twister, Ren was rubbing her head, her eyes losing the last of their light again. For a brief moment, she felt some of the darkness fade away. Why was that? This magic was irreversible. Epona said that herself. As soon as Ren composed herself, she saw a white cloth on the ground. Was that always there? Then, she saw a flash of red hair. It was that guy with the hair that looked like a red pineapple. She could see his back turned to her as he stood an arm's length away from the wall of the twister.

_What is he up to?_ Ren thought, suspicious.

"Are you ready?!" Toshiro yelled, walking back a few paces.

"Ready!" Renji yelled back, waving.

_Hang on, Ren._ Toshiro thought_. I'm coming for you_. With that, Toshiro broke out into a run, the wind barely even doing anything to knock him over, he was that determined.

"I'll leave this up to you…" Renji cupped his hands, and Toshiro planted one foot firmly onto it. "Captain Hitsugaya!" Renji hurled Toshiro up into the air with all his strength, and Toshiro was just high enough to see the top of the twister. Ren looked up and spotted Toshiro, just as he reached the centre of the twister and dropped down to the ground, making a perfect landing with one hand on the ground. He made it.

"I'm in. Now take care of the Feathers." Toshiro ordered, not taking his eyes away from Ren.

"Yes, sir!" Renji ran off, leaving Ren and Toshiro alone once again. Toshiro stood up, his face more focused and determined than ever. The centre of the twister may have been calm, but there was still a little breeze blowing around them, which was not strong enough to knock either of them over. Ren herself was bewildered how far Toshiro was willing to go. But, that was when she got mad, and she clenched her teeth.

"Stop this!" She yelled. "Stop being so stubborn!"

"No." Toshiro said defiantly. "I'm not leaving without you."

"I said leave me alone." Ren brought her right arm up, a miniature twister spinning around it.

"And I said NO!" Toshiro yelled, and he ran towards Ren. With a growl, Ren made the wind around her arm change form into a blade made of wind on her palm, and as soon as Toshiro was close enough to her, she thrust it towards him. There was a loud splatter sound, droplets of blood flying out into the wind. Ren knew she had hit Toshiro with it. But, he hadn't collapsed. Instead, Ren felt his shoulder hit her right hand, and before she knew it, Toshiro had wrapped his arms around her, showing no signs of letting go. Ren's wind blade had already pierced Toshiro through his left shoulder, and the blood was slowly starting to spread through his clothes, the red barely visible on the burgundy of his jacket. Toshiro could feel the pain of the wound all too well, but with clenched teeth and tightly closed eyes, he somehow managed to block out most of the pain, although it didn't stop him from giving off a few winces, which Ren heard.

"Are you insane?!" Ren exclaimed. "If you stay here, you'll die! Just let me go! You said you didn't understand me, so why are you acting like you do?!" In Ren's anger, the wind started to pick up speed, making the gap between the twister walls and the pair even smaller. A couple of times, the wind managed to make cuts on Ren and Toshiro that weren't serious, but were deep enough to draw blood. "You really will die if you stay here! Accept the fact that the person you never knew is gone and stop trying to understand me!"

"That's right!" Toshiro yelled, stunning Ren. "I don't understand you! You're the most confusing person I've ever met! You're selfless. You're modest. You're random. You always insist that you're not short. You never ask for help. You don't hold grudges. You're so honest that you say exactly what you think and can't tell a lie to save your own life. But…those are all the things that make you such an incredible person. It's true you have a little darkness inside you, but so does everybody else. It's only now that you're darkness is coming through. I don't want that! I don't want to lose the best friend I've ever had! So I'll do whatever it takes to dispel the darkness inside you. Get angry. Be selfish. You can even cry. No matter what happens, no matter what you do, I will always support you!"

"…" Ren's eyes shone as they began to show a little light, moved by Toshiro's words.

"More than that, I want to stay with you. These past few weeks with you…they were the best I've ever had. I was having fun. I was forgetting my problems. I…" Toshiro clenched the fabric of Ren's clothes. "I was happy! It's thanks to you I can say that. And I don't want to stop this feeling. I want to spend so many more happy days with you. More importantly, I want us to stay together!"

"Shiro…" Ren whispered, her eyes showing some life, and the dark shadows started to shrink away. But, Toshiro didn't notice or even hear what Ren said.

"But I can't do that without you. Not without the Ren I met. That happy-go-lucky girl…That eccentric weirdo…" Toshiro saw another image of Ren's cheerful smile flash through his mind. "That wonderfully complicated person." He felt something wet slide down his face.

_What was that?_ Toshiro thought at the back of his mind. _It feels…wet. Oh, yeah. The wind is cutting into us. It's no big deal. It's just a little blood. _Toshiro had quickly dismissed the feeling, but that was not what caused the sensation. He hadn't noticed through his pain and through his determination to bring Ren back, but there were tears forming in the corners of his eyes.

"I want…" Toshiro continued, opening his eyes a little. "I need that smile of yours. I need your reckless idiocy. I need your selfless loyalty. I need your random referencing. I need _YOU_! So…please…" Toshiro closed his eyes again, and a single teardrop fell from his eye, dripping off his face and landing on Ren's necklace. A silence seemed to fall as soon as Toshiro whispered four final, pleading words.

"Come back to me."

With those words, everything seemed to happen at once. The wind became less violent as it died down, and a burst of black smoke surrounded Ren, becoming swept up into the twister. Toshiro didn't even noticed, holding onto Ren as if afraid of letting go, as were Steph and Tom, who stared up in awe at the black smoke swirling around the twister. Finally, the black smoke stopped coming out of Ren, her Wind Shackles disappeared, and with it the twister and smoke. Everything was calm. Toshiro finally loosened his grip on Ren.

"Ren?" He said quietly, looking up at her face. Ren, the bright light shining in her eyes, looked back down at him, blinking innocently.

"Nya!" Ren suddenly jumped back, startling Toshiro. "W-W-W-W-Why are you so cut up?!" Ren exclaimed. "Were my Wind Shackles really that dangerous?! I mean, I know I don't bring them out that often, but you got cut up from a little wind?! Wait, I'm a little cut up, too. Damn, that's one hell of a double edged sword! I have GOT to get these powers under control! And what am I wearing?! I know they're in my wardrobe and all, but I would never wear an outfit like this! Goth just ain't my style!"

"Uh…" Toshiro started, not quite sure what to make of this situation.

"Eh?" Ren looked back at Toshiro. "Hey, did some dust get in your eyes? 'Cos they're watering a little."

"Huh?" Toshiro finally realised that what he felt earlier wasn't blood. "Yeah. Dust. Let's go with that." Toshiro said briskly, wiping his eyes dry before she could figure out why they were really watering.

"Ah! Your shoulder!" Ren practically zipped to Toshiro's side, her hands hovering over his shoulder wound as if afraid to touch it. "Are you okay? Does it hurt? Uuuu, why am I asking this?! Of course you're not okay! Of course you're hurt! There's a freakin' hole in your body!" Ren finally stopped talking quickly, looking up at Toshiro's bewildered face. "Oh, I'm sorry. I've gotta stop gabbling. I'll heal this for you right away."

"What's happening?" Steph asked Tom. "Is it over?"

"I think so." Tom answered. "Let's get a closer look." Tom and Steph let go of their trees, slowly walking closer towards the pair.

"Alright, how's that?" Ren asked. Toshiro looked down at where the wound used to be, and found it had healed up completely. Even the hole was repaired.

"It's great." Toshiro shifted his eyes away, finding it hard to believe that this was Ren. Was she tricking him? "Um…Ren?"

"Hm?"

"Are you…well…you?" He asked.

"Eeeeh?! What a weird question!" Ren exclaimed cheerfully. "Of course I'm me! I may have been a complete bitch earlier, and for a few days, but I'm okay now! So stop worrying, okay, Shiro?"

"!" Toshiro gasped with wide eyes as soon as he heard what Ren said. She just called him Shiro. Her nickname for him. That confirmed it for him. This was Ren. His Ren. "It's really you!" Ignoring the fact that it was out of character for him, Toshiro embraced Ren again, overjoyed that she was back.

"Yeah, of course I am." Ren responded, a little confused. "Wow, I didn't know I was gonna be missed this much."

"Ren!" Steph and Tom broke into a run towards Ren, hearing what Toshiro said.

"Ah!" Ren beamed after seeing her friends running towards her. "Steph! Tom!" Ren wrapped her arms around the two of them in a group hug. "What are you guys doing here?!"

"We were so worried about you!" Steph answered happily, pulling away from Ren and holding her hands.

"You did it, Toshiro." Tom smiled at Toshiro. "Thanks."

"Yeah, thanks, Shiro." Ren smiled her smile at him, and Toshio barely noticed how he smiled back, relieved that things were back to normal, or what could be defined as normal in this situation.

"Hn?" Ren looked left and right, as if searching for something.

"Ren, what's wrong?" Tom asked.

"Where are the others?" Ren asked. Suddenly, there was an explosion, and when Ren turned her head in the direction of the explosion, she saw a dust cloud rise up. "Oh damn it, the Feathers, that's right!" She then spotted the white headband lying on the ground by her feet. She picked it up, recognising it as Renji's. Ren clenched it in her hand, her face becoming rather stern.

"Ren?" Steph said.

"Guys, let's save the happy ending for another time. For now…" Ren's body glowed yellow, and after a few seconds, the light dispersed into smaller particles, revealing Ren in a new ensemble that was significantly more colourful. It was a light pink tank top with smaller dark pink spots dotting it, a short sleeved blue hoodie, a peach coloured short skirt, knee high rainbow socks and grey ballet pumps and hairband. "We have some Feathers to take care of."

"You know, I get the impression that outfit references something, but I can't put my finger on it." Steph tapped her chin, deep in thought.

"I know where they went." Toshiro said, focusing on the task at hand. "I can take you to them."

"Great. Let's go." Ren started to move, but Toshiro grabbed her arm, preventing her from moving. "Eh? Shiro?"

"I just have to ask you something."

"Sure, what is it?" Ren asked, shrugging off Toshiro's grip on her arm.

"When you were…you know…did you mean what you said?" There was a brief silence.

"Dude." Ren said flatly.

"That's all I needed to hear." Toshiro said, finally reassured that Epona's magic was really gone.

"I've got it!" Steph snapped her fingers. She pointed at Ren's outfit. "It's Nyan Cat, isn't it?!"

"Ding ding ding!" Ren yelled, pretending to ring a bell in mid-air. "We have a winner!"

"Guys, Feathers!" Tom reminded.

"Oh, yeah, right." Ren quickly snapped back to attention. "Shiro, you ready for this?"

"More than ever."

"Alrighty. As they say in anime…" Toshiro, Ren, Steph and Tom began to run in the direction of the battle. "Iku ze!"

**Ren's back! Yay! Toshiro did it! Man, I've been totally psyched to write this moment since, like, forever! And I am so, so glad that I finally did! Now, in the next chapter, Ren is back on the side of the good guys, and I know somebody who might not be happy Ren's darkness is gone. What's gonna happen? Be patient, and you'll find out. Until next time, guys!**


	25. Rationality

**So, it's spring now. This has got to be the most expensive time for me. First there's Mother's Day, then the birthdays of my dad and brother, and then there's the Easter eggs. Yeah. Pretty pricey. But, at least I get chocolate, too. So, last time, Toshiro was able to bring back the real Ren from Epona's corruption, and they're off to defend the city from the Feathers attacking it. Something tells me that Epona won't be too happy about this. And Ren is probably not too happy about being corrupted, either. This could be interesting…**

Chapter 23

Rationality

"Roar, Zabimaru!" With one slash of Zabimaru, Renji struck down three Feathers at once, but the blow could only sever one of their legs and leave gashes on their heads. "Damn. These things aren't like Hollows. They're a lot tougher. How does Ren fight them?"

"HA!" Ichigo dropped down from the ground and, with one slash, struck a Feather on the head, splitting it in half. It glowed white and burst into ashes. Ichigo picked up the core as it dropped to the ground, and stood up, resting Zangetsu on his shoulder.

"You've gotta hit them straight on the head. Any other attack just slows it down." Ichigo said.

"Some no mai…"

"Eh?" Ichigo saw how the ground was slowly starting to get whiter. "Oh, crap!" Ichigo promptly moved out of the way, except the Feathers, who just looked down at the ground as it changed colour, not noticing Rukia appearing behind them.

"Tsukishiro!" Rukia slashed her sword, and the ice started to develop around the Feather's legs. Rukia leapt away from them, and in a heartbeat, the Feathers were frozen solid in a pillar of ice. It promptly shattered, and Rukia calmly caught the Feather cores in her hands. She looked at the silver charms on her palm. "So these are Feather cores."

"Rukia, you almost froze me!" Ichigo exclaimed.

"You were just standing there, completely forgetting the fact there were two more Feathers behind you." Rukia retorted, pocketing the cores.

"How's Rangiku doing?" Renji asked.

"Great!" Rangiku entered as if on cue, waving and running towards the other Soul Reapers. "I killed four of them!"

"Did you get the cores?" Ichigo asked.

"Right here." Rangiku opened out her left palm, showing the feather shaped charms to the others. "And you?"

"Yeah, a couple."

"I've killed about four."

"Three." Renji held up three fingers.

"Right!" Rangiku clapped her hands. "That's thirteen down." Rangiku heard several roars in the distance. "Some more left to go."

"How many are there? We've been fighting them for about twenty minutes." Renji nearly exclaimed.

"Too many for us to handle." Rukia said. "We've only been able to take out a handful, and there are still several more to go."

"At this rate, the Feathers will destroy the city."

"I know I shouldn't say this, but…we need Ren." Rangiku said, looking off down a street, where she could see a few more Feathers. They all turned their heads towards the Soul Reapers, and with loud roars, dashed towards them.

"Growl, Haineko!" Rangiku's sword dissolved into ashes, and the cloud whooshed through the air towards the Feathers, who skidded to a stop as the ash circled around them, cutting into their skin.

"Let's get to the centre." Ichigo said.

"Right." Rukia started to run off in that direction, but stopped when she spotted the shadow of a tree ripple, and a person rose up out of it, the shadows stripping down from the silhouette to reveal Epona.

"Not another step." Epona said in her usual sad tone.

"Who's she?" Rangiku asked.

"Epona." Rukia answered. "She's the one behind all this."

"So you're the one who changed Ren." Renji said with a growl, clenching the hilt of Zabimaru.

"That's correct." Upon hearing this confirmation, Renji immediately slashed his zanpakuto, and the sword whipped through the air towards Epona, but she didn't even flinch. She calmly raised her arm up, and caught the front protrusion in her hand.

"What?" Renji went wide eyed at what just happened. She caught his sword? And she wasn't even bleeding? Nobody had ever done that before. And she didn't even look fazed. Epona tugged on the sword, and Renji accidentally let go of the hilt, where the whip-like sword collapsed on the ground.

"Interesting." Epona said. "It seems your sword can change form, and it obeys only you. Much like Cielvian weaponry." Zabimaru floated off the ground, small white stars sparkling around it. "Here. You can have it back." Zabimaru was forcefully thrown to the ground at Renji's feet, and he quickly picked it up again, making the segments of his Shikai reform again.

_What is this girl?_ Renji thought, glaring at Epona. _She's strong. Can we beat her?_

"Where's yours?" Epona asked Rangiku. "There is no blade on your hilt. Did it break?" Epona heard some roars in the distance, and a cloud of ashes burst out from the street, and part of it went back to Rangiku, reforming into a blade. "I see. You people have interesting powers that are not of Cielvia." Epona snapped her fingers. There was a silence, until the Soul Reapers could clearly hear the sound of thundering footsteps, and they looked behind Epona in shock when they saw an entire pack of Feathers head their way. They skidded to a stop behind Epona, growling and drooling from the mouths. "You are the bodyguards of the reincarnation, are you not? However, people of your abilities should have some trouble against this many Feathers. These are just a small fraction of the Feathers I released. There are more than two hundred in this city, and without Ren aiding you, your chances are slim." Epona glanced around her. "Unfortunately, my partner Etheline is inconveniently late. She would have enjoyed seeing her enemies get devoured, even if you have yet to get acquainted. No matter." Epona raised a hand up to head height, and the Soul Reapers instinctively went into a defensive stance, ready for the Feathers. "Attack."

_BLAM BLAM BLAM!_

"What?" Epona suddenly saw a huge group of fireballs being shot towards the Feathers, destroying them instantly.

"What was that?" Ichigo wondered, looking around for the source.

"It came from behind us." Rukia turned around, and her eyes widened. There was a girl standing not too far away from them, spinning the trigger hole of a gun around her finger before holding it still and making it vanish in a burst of flames, the fire around her limbs vanishing with it.

"Ren?" Rangiku said, convinced she was seeing things.

"So…" Ren started. "How many Feathers are left now?" Ren held her palm out, and the cores from the Feathers she just killed shot into her hand, where she counted them. A pause. "What? Thirty? Felt like a lot more."

"Is that really Ren?" Ichigo asked, suspicious, but not as suspicious as Renji, who was convinced this was a trick. Ren strolled towards the group, a spring in her step and humming a song to herself. As soon as she was in reaching distance, Renji pointed his sword at Ren.

"Eep!" Ren squeaked, holding her hands up.

"Don't come any closer, imposter." Renji said forcefully.

"Easy, Red Pineapple. Easy. Wait, how did your sword get so big?" Ren asked, getting side-tracked by how weird Renji's weapon looked.

"Don't change the…hang on, what did you call me?" Renji asked, lowering his sword.

"Red Pineapple." Ren answered, wearing her usual blank yet innocent look. "Last time I checked, that was my nickname for you."

"Does that mean…"

"Yup!" Ren smiled happily. "Shiro broke Epona's spell!"

_What?!_ Epona thought, going wide-eyed from shock.

"You're back!" Rangiku immediately pulled Ren into a hug.

"Momf!" Ren muffled, her face getting buried in Rangiku's breasts. "Gah!" Ren managed to pull herself away. "Rangiku, I see you're as energetic as usual."

"Sorry, I'm just so happy to see you again."

"Me, too."

"Wait, I'm confused. How did Toshiro bring you back?" Ichigo asked.

"The better question is why didn't you guys make as much effort as Shiro did?" Ren asked.

"You threatened to take away our powers permanently." Renji answered.

"And you believed that." Ren said flatly.

"Huh?" The Soul Reapers said at the same time.

"Just because I can restore what's lost doesn't mean I can make them lost again. I don't even know if Zena has that power."

"You mean…What you said the other day…" Renji trailed off.

"That was a lie, of course." Ren said bluntly. The Soul Reapers mentally sweat dropped, feeling foolish for believing that threat, and had no idea why they should feel ashamed.

"Did you really believe it?" Ren asked, cracking a smile.

"…" Renji shifted his eyes, refusing to answer.

"You did, didn't you?"

"No."

"Betcha I'm right."

"Betcha you're wrong."

"Betcha you're a Red Pineapple."

"Betcha you're a midget.

"Bitch I kill monsters!" Ren exclaimed angrily. "And I'm not short, I'm average!"

"That settles it." Rukia said with a smile. "This is our Ren."

"Rukia is right." Toshiro finally entered onto the scene, followed by the two humans, who weren't exactly sure if they belonged there or not. "This is no trick. The real Ren has returned to us. I don't know what happened, but all traces of Epona's spell are gone. And I doubt it will happen again."

"Captain! Are you alright?" Rangiku asked, noticing the faint blood stains on his clothes and the scratches on his skin.

"I'm fine. Ren healed me." While the conversation between Ren and the Soul Reapers took place, Epona was rooted to the ground, unable to look away from Ren as she smiled and yelled about not being short.

"Impossible…" Epona finally managed to whisper.

"Hey, um, aren't there Feathers in the city?" Steph asked.

"Crap, there are!" Ren slammed a fist on her palm.

"And then there's…" Ichigo turned around to face Epona, only to find her gone. "Where'd she go?"

"Well, it doesn't matter. She'll be back." Ren said, spotting some more Feathers begin to approach the group. "I know we have a lot of catching up to do, and maybe even some grudge matches. But first…" Ren clicked her heels together, and the Fire Shackles appeared around her wrists and ankles. "I have a little spring cleaning to do." Without turning away, Ren materialised two guns in her hands, and handed one to Toshiro. "Here you go, Shiro. I'll be right back." Ren began to walk towards the Feathers. "Take five, guys. You've done well, but I can handle the rest."

"Are you sure you're strong enough for them?" Renji asked. Ren looked over her shoulder with a smile.

"Dude, you haven't even begun to see how strong I am." She made another gun appear in her empty hand, and held the trigger, creating a fireball on the tip of the gun that gradually got bigger. She pointed the other gun at the Feathers coming towards her. "Let's count, shall we?" Ren shot six fireballs from the gun, and one by one, the Feathers were hit, they roared and they vanished into ashes. "One, two, three, four, five, six," Ren counted as each Feather died. "TEN!" Ren yelled happily, firing the newly developed fireball from her other gun at the remaining Feathers. The Feather cores shot into her hand, and Ren counted them. "Eeyup." Ren opened up her drawstring bag. "Wow, this thing's gettin' pretty full. Good thing I have a spare." Ren pulled out an identical drawstring bag from her pocket and dropped the cores in there. "Somebody hold these." Ren threw the other bag over her shoulder.

"I've got it!" Rukia quickly caught the bag in her hands.

"Keep an eye on those, will ya? Oh, and watch Shiro's back. Brb!" With that, the Fire Shackles around her ankles burst out more fire, and Ren shot up into the sky like a rocket. "Let's see…" Ren hovered in the air around forty feet above the ground, surveying the city. "There's a few over there…some more over there…oooo, there's a big group over there! Oh, guys, heads up! There's about five heading your way!"

"What?" Ichigo looked over his shoulder, and sure enough, there were five Feathers sprinting their way. "Getsuga…" Ichigo started, raising Zangetsu above his head, but several fireballs were shot from behind him, and the Feathers were hit by a barrage of fireballs, killing them all. "Huh?" Ichigo turned around, and Toshiro had Ren's gun raised, the tip smoking from the shots, and his expression remaining unchanged.

"Nice one, Shiro." Ren said with raised eyebrows, mildly impressed. "Okay, now you gotta spin the gun around your finger! Like this!" Ren demonstrated using one of her own pistols with a grin on her face.

"Ren, I'm not doing something that pointless!" Toshiro shouted up to her.

"Is looking badass pointless?!" Ren shouted down in response. "Wait, hold that thought. I think the Feathers are all grouping towards us." Ren heard a loud rumbling getting closer and closer, along with occasional growls and even some high screams. "Yeah, they must be attracted to the Cielvian presence." Ren scratched her head. "Probably doesn't help that I've been using my Shackles for a while now. Ah, well. If that's the case…" Ren threw her two pistols up into the air, and they span until they turned into wheels of fire, and then two balls of fire about the same size as a human head. "I'll have to end this quickly." One of the fireballs split into another one of the same size, and so did the other one, and then there were two more, and then four more, and the fireballs kept multiplying around Ren until there were more than one hundred fireballs surrounding her. The fireballs burst into small explosions, and the fires cleared away to reveal pistols replacing the fireballs. Ren materialised another one in her hand, and pointed it at some oncoming Feathers, the remaining pistols rotating and pointing in all directions. Ren gave a smirk.

"Dakka." She said, pulling the trigger of her gun. All of the guns fired simultaneously, disappearing into bursts of flame afterwards, and a rain of fire fell down from the sky. All that could be heard in that moment were the explosions of the guns, the shattering of the ground as the fireballs fell to earth, and the screams of the Feathers. While this was going on, Ren span her gun around the finger, making it disappear in a wheel of fire. The fierceness of the flames around her feet toned down, and Ren floated back down to earth, barely making a sound when she landed, her Fire Shackles vanishing again. She calmly walked back to the other Soul Reapers, and the ones who were still not used to Ren yet were amazed at her display of power.

"Well, that was easy." Ren said, sounding a little disappointed. "So, what did you think of that, Shiro? I've never done that kind of move before. What's the verdict?"

"Ren, that was reckless and idiotic." Toshiro said sternly. "Some of those fireballs came our way. We could have been killed if your aim was off by even a little bit." Pause. "I missed you."

"Yeah, I missed me to. And does that mean you don't approve of my move?" Ren asked, tilting her head to the side a little.

"Don't write it off. It might come in handy."

"So it's, like, a forbidden technique?"

"Sure, why not?"

"Sweet."

"…" Epona stared down at the group from the top of a building. She just couldn't comprehend how her magic vanished. While watching her fight, she noticed how Ren was no longer as merciless as she was the last time. She was…herself.

"Well, this is interesting."

"I'm not in the mood." Epona said coldly, narrowing her eyes after recognising Etheline's voice. Etheline was stood behind her, a hand on her hip and a sly smile on her face.

"So much for the Leader's plan. Guess we'll just have to keep fighting her until she sees sense." A whip appeared in Etheline's hand, and she began to walk towards the edge of the building. But, Epona blocked her path with her arm. "Epona?"

"No." Epona's sad expression became determined once again. She looked down at Ren, clenching her hand into a fist. "I will deal with her myself. You are not to interfere."

"Why should I take orders from somebody who can't accomplish a simple task?" Etheline asked with a sigh. Epona looked over her shoulder and gave Etheline a glare that shut her up right away.

"As I said…you are not to interfere." Epona repeated.

"Yes, Epona." Etheline said, looking away.

_Damn, she's intimidating when she's mad_. Etheline thought. Epona turned back around, the Shadow Shackles appearing around her limbs, and she shrunk into her own shadow.

"Well, I guess I'm an observer." Etheline sat on the edge of the building, laying her whip down next to her and crossing her legs. She smiled again. "This could be kind of fun."

"But, Ren, what happened back there?" Ichigo asked. "I thought that spell couldn't be reversed."

"I thought that, too. But, somehow, Shiro found a way. I was surrounded in darkness, and then I heard Shiro's voice, and…well, you know the rest." Ren looked over to Toshiro. "You should have him to thank. Speaking of which…" Ren immediately threw her arms around Toshiro's neck, surprising him. "Thank you, Shiro!" She exclaimed happily.

"It was nothing, I'm sure you would've done the same for me."

"It's not nothing, it's everything!" Ren pulled away from Toshiro, still gripping his shoulders. "If it weren't for you, I would still be…uh…shall I call her Dark Ren? Yeah, Dark Ren. And I do NOT like Dark Ren. If it weren't for you, I'd still be evil."

"Ren, you've already thanked me. You don't have to…" Toshiro cut himself off when Ren planted a kiss on his cheek. Ren pulled away and Toshiro placed a hand where she kissed him. Ren smiled her happy smile at him.

"Thank you."

"You…You're welcome." Toshiro eventually said, looking away with a small smile on his face.

"Captain, are you blushing?" Rangiku teased, leaning forward to get a better look.

"Uh, n-n-n-no! I'm er…um…uh…" Toshiro stammered, trying to think of a response.

"You're feeling cold today." Ren muttered into his ear.

"I'm feeling cold today." Toshiro repeated, suddenly calm and deciding to ignore how stupid that excuse was.

"But that's impossible, you-"

"Shut up before it gets even colder."

"Yes, sir." Renji immediately shut up.

"Thanks, Ren." Toshiro whispered to Ren.

"This counts as a stupid idea." Ren whispered back.

"Fair enough."

"Hey, wait a minute, you don't have any powers. You can't make it colder!" Renji realised.

"Who said it would be me making it colder?" Toshiro said with a sly smile. "Ren? Would you mind giving Renji an arctic breeze?"

"Gladly." Ren raised her arms up, preparing to activate her Wind Shackles.

"Alright, alright, you win!" Renji quickly gave in. Ren and Toshiro both exchanged amused glances.

"I know I said this before, but it's good to have you back."

"…" Tom looked up at the sky. Is it just him, or was it getting darker? He didn't see anything suspicious, although the clouds were rather dark.

"Anyway, Ren, there's something I think you should know." Toshiro said. Even though Ren wasn't herself, she had made a few good points. He was keeping things from her. And that stops now. He was going to be honest with Ren from now on. Toshiro was going to tell her about Zena.

"What is it?" Ren asked.

"Hey, guys, I think it's getting cloudy." Tom said, deciding to bring the weather into attention.

"We're in Britain, Tom. The sky is alwa…" Ren trailed off, looking up at the sky. "Wait…it really is getting cloudy."

"Is that bad?" Steph asked.

"Might be. Either it's gonna rain when I don't have an umbrella, or…"

"Or Epona is about to attack again." Toshiro finished for Ren.

"Here we go again." Ren sighed, tapping her heels again to make the Fire Shackles appear. "Guys, if Epona summons those ninjas again, remember they're weak to light, so hit 'em with anything bright. Anyone want one of my guns? What about you two?" Ren turned to Tom and Steph.

"What?" Steph blinked in surprise.

"But…I've never held a weapon before. I've never even been to Laser Force."

"First time for everything." Ren threw a pistol each for them, and they caught the guns, fumbling with them while struggling to get a grip on them, before firmly grasping it in both hands. "Anyone else? Shiro, you've still got yours, so you're fine. Right, do any of you know any bright…uh…Kido?" Ren looked at Toshiro, who nodded. "Yeah, Kido."

"I do." Rukia raised a hand.

"Renji and I know some."

"Yeah, but he can't do them without having them blow up in his face."

"Oi!" Renji growled at Ichigo.

"Right, you're getting a gun." Ren tossed Renji a gun, who caught it and stared at it from different angles, trying to determine what about it gives Ren her strength. "Ichigo?"

"Uh…"

"Urgh, here." Ren groaned, handing Ichigo another gun. "Remember, guys. Epona has power over darkness. Don't let her smoke touch you. And I mean never. If you do, you'll end up how I was. Got that?" Everybody nodded. "And while we're on the subject, how come she hasn't shown up yet?" Ren looked around, scratching her head. "She had plenty of opportunities. I know she's here. The sky is practically black." Ren didn't notice, but her shadow was starting to ripple around her feet. Tentacle-like shadows rose out of the shadows and around her legs, completely disregarding the Shackles around her ankles. "She might attack any moment now. I'm gonna go and-eh?"

"Ren, what's wrong?" Rangiku asked.

"I can't move." Ren answered, puzzled. "It's like my feet are glued to the ground." Immediately after this, three large shadowy tentacles shot out of her shadow, poised to attack and making the other instinctively back away. "What the…" Before Ren could get another word in edgeways, the tentacles wrapped themselves around her, and they started to sink into the ground, taking Ren with them. "Get off me!" Ren struggled against the shadows, managing to get one arm free.

"Ren!" Toshiro ran straight towards Ren, reaching out to grab her hand, but it sank into the ground before he could reach her, making Toshiro grasp the air where her hand used to be, and the shadow vanished. Ren was gone. "No!"

"Where did she go?" Steph looked all around her for any signs that Ren had been there, even listening out for her voice, all while keeping her new gun held up high.

"I think we should be worried about us right now." Tom said fearfully, noticing how the ground was a lot darker. It ripples, and out of the ground rose several dozen shadowy figures.

"It's the guys from the arcade." Renji instantly recognised them.

"And without Ren, we'll just have to deal with them ourselves." Ichigo reached for Zangetsu, but stopped himself, remembering the weapon he held in his hands. Deciding to give it a try, Ichigo aimed it at one of the shadowed figures and pulled the trigger. A fireball immediately shot out, hit the shadowed figure and it burst into smoke with a high pitched scream and disappeared. "It worked."

"Of course it did. It works for me, so why should you be any different?" Toshiro pointed out, deciding that protecting themselves right now took top priority over trying to find Ren. Besides, that girl was more than capable of taking care of herself, no matter where she ended up. At least, that's what Toshiro kept thinking to himself as he fired his pistol at any figures that happened to come close to him, acting purely out of instinct and giving no thought to plan out his moves. He just wanted to get them out the way so he could find Ren as soon as possible. After what happened, he was sure Epona was going to have a few things to say to her, and he honestly wasn't sure if Ren even stood a chance against her.

_No!_ Toshiro shook his head, shrugging off those thoughts long enough to realise there was another shadowed figure behind him, and he quickly shot it with his gun, watching it burst into smoke. _Don't think like that. Ren will be fine._

BOOM!

"Huh?" Toshiro looked at the direction the explosion came from. In the distance, there was a cloud of dust on top of one of the taller buildings, and there was also some dark smoke mixed in with the dust. It looked like Epona's magic, which can only mean that she had transported Ren there. "Oh, screw it." Toshiro instantly took off in the direction of the explosion. "Rangiku, I'll leave them with you! I'm going after Ren!"

"Yes, sir!" Rangiku shouted back, confident in her captain and in the strength of her comrades to swiftly take care of these figures. After all, the sooner they were dealt with, the sooner she could re-join her captain. She just had a bad feeling about Epona. There was something about her that she just didn't like…

_Stay safe, Captain._ Rangiku thought.

…

"Nya!" Ren staggered as soon as she rose out of the shadows. She realised that she was now on top of a building, and upon looking around, she realised that she now had no idea where the others were. Something had transported her away from them "That felt weird." Ren rubbed her head, trying to get her hair back into order. That was when she noticed how the shadows were rippling briefly before they stopped, and she immediately knew what was going on. "Epona." Ren looked behind her, and sure enough, Epona was standing right there, her usual sad expression replaced with one that was a mixture of determined and angry, and the Shadow Shackles floating around her wrists and ankles. "Oh…Hey…" Ren said slowly. "So, uh, I guess you're a little peeved that your spell didn't work, right?" Epona said nothing. "Um…Look, I know you're mad, but let's just talk this out." Ren said with a smile. Epona's response was for her Shadow Shackles to become more intense, and some smoke billowed around her hand, until it dispersed, revealing a long dagger in each of Epona's hands, with a red hilt and the Cielvian emblem of a teardrop on the ends of the guard and the tip of the hilt. Ren's face fell. "I guess not."

"All you had to do was let the darkness take over. But, you refused to let go of the light."

"I-I-I had no idea your magic would go away, I swear! Brownie promise!" Ren insisted, making the hand sign afterwards to show her sincerity. But, to Ren's disappointment, just by looking at Epona's face, she knew Epona wasn't buying it, so Ren lowered her hand with her trademark "uuuu" sound.

"You were a thorn in my side, even before I showed you the darkness, and had you held onto the darkness, you would have been my partner, and you would always be the thorn."

"So I guess everything worked out in the end. Heh heh heh." Ren said nervously and with an equally nervous smile.

"Perhaps. But now I know that some thorns are too stubborn to be shown the darkness. And those thorns will have to be pulled out. Permanently." A cloud of smoke developed behind Epona, and Ren noticed how there were gleams inside the cloud that reflected what little sunlight was basking on the city. There were more daggers inside there!

"Eep." Ren said flatly, trying her best not to panic. "Okay…so you wanna kill me…" Ren slowly started to back away. She could deal with Epona later. Right now, her friends needed her help. She knew they were capable of taking care of themselves, but Ren just had to make sure. "I'd love to have a little chat girl to girl, but I've uh…got to go…do…something…" Ren glanced behind her, seeing that a building wasn't too far away from the edge. She could make a run for it right now, and since they were high up, she should be able to spot her friends and be able to help them. "Over there!" Ren turned around and made a dash for the edge of the building. "Parkour, don't fail me now!" Ren yelled as she jumped. Ren landed on the other building, rolling on the ground for good measure before she took off into a run again. "Try and catch me now!" Ren yelled triumphantly. Several seconds later, Ren heard a loud flapping noise. "Eh?" Ren looked over her shoulder, and she gasped. Epona was flying after her with her own pair of feathered wings, only these ones were black for some reason. "Oh, yeah, that's right, she's a reincarnation." Ren said calmly. "Craaaaap!" Ren broke into an even fiercer run after realising what this meant.

"You will not escape me." Epona made more daggers shoot out of the cloud of darkness behind her, and Ren somehow managed to avoid each one by running in a zigzag.

"Using those daggers just makes me want to escape even more!" Ren exclaimed, jumping over another building gap without missing a beat. "I'm not asking for a fight!"

"Well, you're getting it." Epona shot even more daggers at Ren, and she spun around and shot an arch of fire at the daggers, knocking them off course, and she spun back around again to continue running.

"Can't we be civilised about this?! It's not fair that you can fly while I can't!" Ren suddenly skidded to a stop, and Epona also stopped flying, letting herself hover in the air. "Wait a minute, I can totally do that."

"Enough of your foolishness!" Epona finally had enough of Ren, and she raised her arms up in the air, making the smoke cloud form on her hands. "Die!" With this shout, Epona threw the dark cloud at Ren.

BOOM!

"…" Epona lowered her hand, staring at the dust cloud mixed with her smoke. After several seconds, Ren burst out of the cloud, her Fire Shackles boosting her up into the air, and Ren was hovering on equal levels with Epona while still keeping her distance.

"Sorry about that." Ren apologised sheepishly. "In my panic, I totally forgot that I could fly! Doy, right?" Ren tapped her head with her fist while sticking her tongue out, and she laughed a little bit, but it turned into a nervous chuckle when she realised Epona wasn't laughing back. "Uh…doy?" Ren said again. Nothing. "Come on, laughter's the best medicine." Epona merely made her glare even fiercer. "And now, back to running." Ren promptly turned around and, with a burst of flames, she was rocketing through the sky and away from Epona. "I meant flying!" Ren's voice yelled from a distance.

"Get back here!" Epona shouted, and with a strong beat of her wings, she was flying after Ren.

"Right, where are they?" Ren looked over the city, trying to spot any signs of her friends. "Not there…not there…" In the midst of her search, Ren faintly heard a swishing sound, and she saw a gleam of metal in the corner of her eye. "Dah!" Ren flew to her left, dodging a dagger that lodged itself into a wall before disappearing in a puff of black smoke. Ren looked over her shoulder, and sure enough, Epona was flying above her. "Whoa, she's persistent. I don't have time for her. Guess there's no other way." Ren turned around. "Look, a distraction!" Ren yelled, throwing a fireball as big as her head at Epona. Epona crossed her arms in front of her, and as soon as the fireball hit her, it was dispersed by her shadows. When the fire cleared, Epona saw that Ren was no longer in the sky.

"Where did she go?" Epona flew off slowly, looking for her prey, and not knowing that Ren was actually hiding in an alleyway just below her.

"Right. Now, find my friends." Ren ran out of the alleyway into the open street. "Trouble is that the sky is so dark, it's hard to see. Hell, I'm surprised the street lights aren't on." Ren snapped her fingers. "Damn." Ren held her chin and tapped her foot. "Hm, what to do, what to do…" Silence. "Ah, I'll power through." Following her instincts, Ren ran off to her right. "I've dealt with worse, after all." After a couple minutes, Ren reached a turning, and she skidded to a halt, hopping on her right foot a couple of times, and she ran off down the left turning. She then saw a gleam on the pavement, and Ren took a glimpse at it while running past it. The gleam was a Feather core. And after a few seconds, Ren saw a few more gleams on the ground. "Ah, that's right. I killed all the Feathers at once. I need to gather the cores soon or…huh?" Ren stopped when she saw the cores around her start to shake. Slowly, they glowed white and levitated off the ground. "What? Are the Feathers coming back already? It's not even been an hour." Ren quickly held out her hand, and the cores in front of her shot into her hand, leaving behind brief trails of light, along with several more beams of light. In fact, there were so many, Ren had to hold her other hand out to catch the others. After the cores stopped shooting into her hands, the glowing stopped, and Ren was staring at purified Feather cores. "That was close." Ren sighed, relieved. As soon as Ren saw the glowing of the cores, she had just got a bad feeling about it, and she was glad she acted quickly. She was seriously not in the mood to fight the Feathers again.

"I had a feeling you would do that."

"Eh?" Ren looked up at the sound of the voice. Epona was standing in front of her on top of a streetlamp.

"Sooner or later, you were going to collect those cores." Epona continued. "Had you not collected them, you would have faced far worse than a few Feathers. Your own instincts are your downfall." Epona raised her hands a little, showing Ren the two daggers she held, letting them gleam in what little light there was in the city.

"…" Ren, with a blank face, dropped the cores she held in her hands, making them clatter noisily around her feet. She had had enough. Just when she finally got away from Epona, she was stupid enough to reveal her location. She was so frustrated she just wanted to scream!

…

"Damn…She's not here either." Toshiro cursed under his breath after stopping again in another deserted town square. "You'd think having nobody here would make it easier." Toshiro started to run off again, but at the first step, he stopped. He heard metal. Toshiro removed his foot and looked down. It was a Feather core. Looking around him, Toshiro noticed how there were about a dozen cores in the square. "Right. Ren hasn't purified them yet. But how long is it until they come back as Feathers? I should pick up these ones while I'm here." Just as Toshiro was about to reach out towards the core, it started to glow. "Huh?" The glowing of the Feather core continued, and it continued to the other cores, and they soon rattled and levitated off a few inches off the ground. Toshiro cautiously stepped back and aimed his gun at one of the cores. Something told him that they weren't being collected. But, Toshiro's fears were put to rest for the time being when they shot up into the sky, leaving behind trails of light, and shot out straight behind him. Toshiro turned around and followed where the cores were going with his eyes, noticing how there were several mores beams of light going off in the same direction. Toshiro watched where the cores ended up, noticing them fall back down to the ground further off in the distance at a single point, before the beams of light stopped. It didn't seem that far away, either. It was just down the street.

_There she is._ Toshiro thought, finally pinpointing Ren's location. _But, she's been moving around a lot lately. What if she's moved again? How do I know where she is?_

"OH, COME ON!"

"She's there." Gripping his gun, Toshiro ran off again in the direction he saw the lights. After all, if he saw those lights, the chances are Epona saw them, too. And this girl was not to be underestimated. After all, Toshiro had only just got back the real Ren, and he was not about to lose her again.

…

"OH, COME ON!" Ren yelled. "I've finally got away from you, and you pulled a dirty trick like that to find me!"

"Actually, you were the one who, as you said, pulled a dirty trick. As I said, you are your own downfall." Epona said calmly, although on the inside, she was bewildered at the level of Ren's stupidity.

"Oh, and now you're making me feel like an idiot!"

"?" Epona glanced behind her. She sensed it. That person was coming. As she thought, that boy was sure to rush off and find the one he had promised to protect whenever she was separated from him. This was the perfect opportunity for her.

"Hey, what are you looking at?" Ren, after calming down quite quickly, noticed Epona staring off into the distance.

"Nothing." Epona turned back to Ren. "I was just contemplating opportunities." Epona stepped down from the streetlamp, levitating an inch from the ground for a brief second before touching the ground. Ren cautiously backed away from Epona, and she subtly placed a hand behind her back, materialising a gun in that hand just in case. "The opportunity of continuing my plan, to be more precise."

"Plan? What plan?" Ren dared to ask.

"The plan to spread the power of my darkness across the world, of course. You were the first one who resisted, and you will doubtless be the only one. After all, it's impossible to stay away from the darkness. Everybody tastes it. And everybody will embrace it."

"But I didn't. Like you said, I'm immune." Ren pointed out.

"True." Epona said with a hint of both annoyance and disgust. "But, there is nobody else like you who can resist the darkness. In fact, one is coming right now."

"Eh?" Ren looked to her left, and in the distance, she saw Toshiro running straight towards her, getting closer and closer with each second, and at the same time, Toshiro saw Ren and Epona in the distance.

"Ren!" Toshiro called out.

"!" Ren's eyes widened as she realised just what Epona was planning to do. "No." Ren looked back at Epona. "No, leave Shiro out of this, please. He's done nothing wrong!" Ren pleaded.

"On the contrary…" Epona raised her hand up and pointed it at Toshiro, the smoke in the Shadow Shackles becoming thicker. "He's done everything wrong." With that, Epona shot a spiralling blast of black smoke out of her palm and on a direct path towards Toshiro.

_I can't stop it with my fire._ Ren thought, trying to think of a way to stop the attack. _If I shoot, I might hit Shiro._

"Shiro, get out of here! Run!" Ren shouted.

"Huh?" Toshiro didn't hear what Ren said, but as soon as he saw the black smoke, and as soon as he felt his back get warmer, he knew this was bad. Toshiro skidded to a stop, and before he could even consider jumping out of the way, the blast of smoke had already engulfed him, and all he could do was try to fan the smoke away to no avail. It wasn't long until Toshiro started to feel dizzy and his vision began to get dark.

"Shiro!" Completely disregarding Epona, Ren ran towards Toshiro, who had collapsed on one knee with a hand on his head. "Get outta here!" With fire surrounding her hands, Ren fanned away the smoke to expose Toshiro, and as soon as the smoke was gone, Ren made the fire vanish and got down to his level. "Shiro, are you alright?"

"I…" Toshiro started, the dizziness going away as he contemplated his answer. He expected something to change when that smoke hit him, but he didn't feel any wicked intent. He tried to think of something devious, but nothing came up. Why? He looked up at Ren, confused. "I'm fine."

"Eh?" Ren blinked. "What do you mean?"

"I don't think that spell worked."

_What?_ Epona went wide eyed, having heard everything. _It had no effect? _Epona, trying to contemplate what had just happened, watched as Ren helped a baffled Toshiro to his feet. _He is just an average human. It should have worked. And yet, why isn't he attacking her?_

"Are you sure?" Ren asked. "How do you feel?"

"I don't feel any different. Do I look any different?" Toshiro asked, looking at his hands almost as though he expected them to morph into claws somehow.

"Not really." Ren tapped her foot with folded arms. "Ah!" Ren snapped her fingers. "Try insulting me."

"Ren, I really did try to think of something even remotely dark, and nothing."

"Really? You couldn't even come up with some kind of Joker plan?"

"What's that?"

"You ever watched Batman?"

"Does it matter?"

"Nah, I'll explain later. But, why didn't it work on you?" Ren folded her arms in thought. "It doesn't make sense."

_He has darkness in his heart just like any other human being. _Epona thought, looking down at the ground. _In fact, he has more darkness than anybody I've ever met. So, why hasn't it overpowered him? Why is he still in the light? It's impossible!_

"Maybe it's because we're Cielvian?"

"That shouldn't affect it. It's a Cielvian ability, so it should have affected me just as much as it affected you."

"So, maybe it's the 'too much light' thing that she keeps going on about?"

"I think that's more a state of mind than actual Cielvian ability. This doesn't make any sense. Why am I still the same?"

"Hm?" Ren noticed something in the corner of her eye, and turned her head in that direction. "Uh oh." Ren said.

"What? What do you mean? Is something happening to me? Wait, what're you…loo…king…at." Toshiro trailed off after turning to see what had caught Ren's attention. "Uh oh." Toshiro instinctively said, even though he knew it sounded stupid. Epona was still staring at the ground with her fists clenched, but the Shadow Shackles were even fiercer now, and there was a cloud of smoke developing around her ankles, and becoming taller behind her back.

"Impossible." Epona muttered. "Impossible. Impossible. Impossible."

"…" Toshiro quickly snapped out of his daze, and he aimed his gun at Epona and quickly shot a fireball at her. But, some of the dark cloud moved in front of Epona and engulfed the fireball.

_She blocked it?!_ Toshiro thought, shocked.

"Shiro…" Ren started, keeping her eyes firmly locked on Epona. "Find the others and get out of here. I'll try and hold her off."

"What? How can you suggest something like that so easily?"

"We don't really have many options right now. I don't want to hurt her, but I hate the idea of you getting hurt even more. Now go."

"No!" Toshiro said firmly. "I won't leave without you! I almost lost you once, and I'm not going to lose you again!"

"…" Ren looked over her shoulder at Toshiro, stunned at his words, as well as the sincerity of them. And, judging by the look on his face, Ren knew that Toshiro was going to keep true to them no matter what. Ren shook her head to get rid of those thoughts for now. She was touched that he was willing to stay, but the reality was that he would just be hindrance right now. She knew full well that his fireballs weren't going to do anything, but Toshiro was just so stubborn sometimes. "Shiro, we're running out of time. Run!" Ren heard a whistle like sound and felt something whoosh past her face, and she promptly saw a dagger jammed point first into the ground in front of Toshiro's feet, deliberately missing him.

"None of you are leaving here." Toshiro and Ren looked back sat Epona. The cloud of black smoke had grown even bigger, and the darkness was so great that the whites of her eyes were starting to flood black. Both Toshiro and Ren felt a little something inside them crawl at that sight, which was so familiar to both of them. "Nobody has ever resisted my Shadow Shackles before. But…" Epona raised a shadow surrounded hand up. "If I kill you both, then it won't be a problem for my goal anymore, right?"

"?" Ren was drawn away from Epona when she felt something warm trickle down her face. She placed a hand at the sensation and looked at her fingers, and she was alarmed to find blood on the tips. Epona was serious. Well, in that case…

"Alright, you asked for it, Epona!" Ren exclaimed. "Ya wanna screw with me?! Let's go!" The fire around Ren's ankles intensified, and she blasted off across the ground towards Epona, and kicked her across her face as soon as she arrived. Ren landed one foot on the ground and pushed off towards Epona, leaving a trail of fire behind her and a lot of uprooted rubble, which Ren noticed. "Cool! I'm like a DeLorean! I mean, take this!" Ren gave Epona an uppercut into the sky, and Ren promptly followed her, while Toshiro watched.

"She did not need much." Toshiro thought out loud, remarking on how easily provoked Ren could get. Then again, he was no different, what with his temper. But still, Ren did have a point. He had to contact the others and let them know what is going on. While Epona and Ren fought, Toshiro took out his phone and rang up his lieutenant.

"Hullo?"

"Rangiku, it's me."

"Captain, you're okay!" Rangiku said happily and rather loudly, making him hold the phone away for a few seconds. "We're doing really well, too!"

"Very good. So are the shadows dealt with?"

"Just finished off the last one. Ren's guns are really good; I have to give her that. So, where are you? What's going on?"

"I'm…" Toshiro started before he realised that he had no idea what the name of the street he was in was called. He looked around for a sign. Nothing. And even if there was one, it was almost impossible to read due to the dark clouds in the sky. "I'm with Ren." Toshiro finally answered, deciding that answer would have to do. Besides, he had an idea. "She's fighting Epona right now. You should be able to see it from your position."

"Uuuuuummmmm…Nope. Nothing."

"How about this?" Toshiro asked, and he shot a fireball from his pistol into the sky like it was a flare gun. When the fireball went past the high rooftops, it exploded into smaller sparks like fireworks.

"Oh, I see it! Hang tight, we're on our way now!"

"Just be careful." Toshiro hung up and pocketed the phone. Maybe having more people here could help things out, even if it was just a little bit. After all, Epona did seem rather powerful. Then again, Ren is powerful, too. But, was it enough? She definitely seemed stronger than the other members of White Raven. By how much was another question. It was the same with Ren. Every time she entered onto the battlefield, Ren always surprised him, whether it was a new move or an incredible use of strategy and wit.

_I've just got to have faith in Ren._ Toshiro decided mentally, clenching his gun as his only means of self-defence, even though it wouldn't do much good in this situation. _She will find a way around this. She always does._

"INCOMIIIIIIIIING!"

"Dah!" Toshiro staggered out of the way just as something crashed into the ground where he was just a second ago. The dust started to clear, and Ren stood up from it, brushing off the dirt.

"Uwah, she's tough."

"Watch where you're falling!"

"Sorry, I can't control it. Besides, I did warn you." Ren said, looking at Toshiro.

"Ren, the enemy's right there!" Toshiro pointed up at the sky.

"Oh, yeah." Ren looked up at Epona flying in the sky with her black wings, still wearing her sad expression, only this one had hints of anger in it. "Hey, that rhymes!"

"Focus!" Toshiro exclaimed.

"Yeah, yeah." Ren shot several fireballs from her gun in Epona's direction, but the smoke extinguished them without Epona moving a muscle. "Huh." Ren said calmly. "That's a dud."

"The light will always be extinguished by the darkness. Just as I extinguished the fire, I will extinguish yours. I did it once, and I will do it again."

"Yah beh." Ren said, a blank expression on her face. But, as soon as Epona shot a large blast of black smoke in Ren's direction, Ren's eyes widened. "Crap, she's serious!" Ren tucked her gun behind the waistband of her skirt and looked at Toshiro. "I am so sorry about this." Before Toshiro could dignify that with a response, he felt himself flung backwards and off his feet by some invisible force. Ren was using her telekinesis on him again, but not in the same way as before. Toshiro managed to place his feet on the ground again and skidded back until he came to a stop.

"What was that-" Toshiro started but stopped when he saw the smoke reach Ren, and it began to circle her while Ren watched.

"What the hey?" Ren said, just as the smoke obscured her from sight, making a dome of black smoke.

"Ren!" Toshiro brought out his gun again, aiming it straight at the dome.

_Wait…_Toshiro thought. _What if I hit Ren?_

"What?" Toshiro noticed how there were some hints of bright orange to the swirling black smoke. Before he knew it, the black smoke suddenly expanded out and vanished, revealing Ren standing in the middle, her palms pointing up to the sky.

"She broke through?" Epona said out loud, shocked.

"That's not gonna work on me again, hun." Ren said loudly, looking up at Epona and lowering her arms. "It's as the old saying goes. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice…" Ren materialised a fireball in each of her hands. "Shame on me for not beating your ass the first time!" Ren threw the fireballs at Epona, but with another arc of black smoke, those fireballs were extinguished.

"That is not how the saying goes." Epona threw another huge cloud of smoke at Ren, who crossed her arms in front of her, bracing herself for the attack that smashed the ground around her, obscuring her from view again.

"I know what I said!" After this Ren leapt out of the flames, making a spiral of fire as she spun around, dispelling any traces of smoke. The fire vanished into two new pistols and Ren stopped spinning, firing her pistols at Epona while she fell back down, and with a swift back flip, Ren landed on one knee back on the ground, her pistols disappearing again.

_They're evenly matched._ Toshiro thought. _Epona extinguishes Ren's fire, and Ren dispels Epona's smoke. At this point, any of them can win._

"You alright, Shiro?" Ren asked, standing up.

"I'm fine. Just give me a heads up before you use your telekinesis on me."

"I said sorry, didn't I?"

"Rrrr." Toshiro growled, frustrated that Ren was right again. She was just impossible to argue with.

"Give up now, Epona!" Ren called up to Epona, who as still flying up in the sky. "I know how your Shackles function! I've already been inside the darkness! It won't work on me again! Surrender now and we can stop this meaningless fight!"

"…" Epona said nothing, although she did look down at the ground thoughtfully. After a few tense seconds, Epona closed her eyes and her wings glowed white and shot back into her back, vanishing.

_Did I get through to her?_ Ren thought as Epona started to float down to the ground using her smoke. Epona landed on the ground, and the smoke started to get thinner. Just to be sure, Ren's hand went to the gun behind her skirt, ready to grasp it at the first sign of trouble. The smoke vanished completely, and Ren loosened her grip on her gun. Epona's eyes opened, and from that distance combined with the darkness of the city, Ren had no way of seeing the anger and the malice in her normally sorrowful eyes. But, when Toshiro felt his back get hot again, he knew something was wrong.

"Ren, don't let your guard down." Toshiro said urgently.

"I'm not." Ren said, never taking her eyes from Epona. Suddenly, there was the distinct whistle of something slicing through the air, but Ren couldn't tell where it was coming from. Before she knew it, there were daggers jammed into the ground surrounding her feet, and vanished in a puff of smoke. "Where…?" Ren started, but stopped herself when she saw her left wrist. It had a thin line where there wasn't one before, and it was slowly turning red. "Eh?" Without warning, jets of blood spurted out of several small cuts around Ren's body, much to her and Toshiro's shock.

_When did this happen?_ Ren thought, confused. Ren dropped down on her knees with a hung head, and the blood slid down her arms and legs onto the ground, with some more blood dripping from her face, creating tiny little puddles for each of her limbs and her head, and there were even some small slivers of blonde hair falling to the pavement.

"Ren!" Toshiro called out. He glared at Epona, who already had two daggers in her hands.

"You foolish girl." Epona said coldly. She walked forward, confident that Ren wouldn't move or do anything to stop her. "I may have made you adopt the dark, but I was born in the darkness." Epona was by Ren's side at this point, and she turned her green eyed gaze to Toshiro. "Now…" Epona pointed a dagger at Toshiro, who glared at her fearlessly. "I have a head to claim." A slightly bloodied hand reached up and grabbed the dagger. Epona turned, and Ren was holding the dagger, although her back was still turned.

"Sorry about that." Ren said quietly. "I was just a little taken aback at that last attack. I gotta admit, not too shabby."

"Let go." Epona ordered calmly.

_What?_ Epona thought, staring at her left dagger. _I can't move this hand._

"On another note, don't turn your attention away from your opponent." With that, Ren snatched the dagger from Epona's hand, standing up and backing away in the process.

"Usually people who take that attack are out of commission for a few minutes." Epona said, simply materialising another dagger in her left hand.

"I'm not like other people." Ren said with a cocky smile. "And, in case you haven't noticed, I'm Cielvian like you, so I can regenerate, too." Sure enough, Epona saw a couple of Ren's cuts seal up like a zip. "It's a little slow, mind you, but your paper cuts won't work on me. I'll say it again." Ren pointed her newly obtained dagger at Epona. "Give up."

"…" Epona said nothing, staring at this girl. She was clearly not going to back down, and yet there was still the air of hesitation around her. She did not want to hurt her, even after what Epona did to her. How cowardly.

"Now, back away from Shiro." Ren said calmly.

"And what if I don't?" Epona challenged. "He is a target of White Raven."

"I know. That's why I'm asking you nicely to back away. Drop those daggers, and move away."

"Very well." Epona spread her arms out and let her dagger clatter noisily to the ground, and after a few seconds, they disappeared in a puff of black smoke. Toshiro, who could still feel the small burning on his back, backed away slowly, not wanting to take any chances in Epona's supposed surrender. And he was right to do so, as Epona promptly pointed her palm at Toshiro, and shot a ball of black fire at him.

DON'T YOU TOUCH HIM!" Ren yelled, throwing her dagger at the fireball, only this time, the dagger was surrounded by Ren's fire, but for some reason, it seemed to be brighter and much fiercer than before.

"Useless." Epona said, conjuring up an arc of smoke to block the dagger. However, the dagger whooshed through the wall as if it wasn't even there.

What?! Epona thought, wide eyed. That should have blocked it! The dagger hit the black fireball, and both the fire and the dagger vanished into nothing, just as it was inched from Toshiro. He could have sworn that some tips of the white bang that hung over his eye were singed.

Too close! Toshiro thought, looking relieved on the outside, but on the inside, he was downright freaking out about the close call.

"I warned you not to touch him." Ren said, the look of anger still on her face.

_Crack_

"Eh?" The anger instantly vanished from her face when Ren heard that sound. It came from her right. She glanced to her right side, and was utterly befuddled. "What the…" Ren brought her right hand up and looked at it, confused. Or, more specifically, she was looking at the Fire Shackles around her wrist. They now had a thick crack the same length as her finger on them. She looked at the Shackles around her ankles and her other wrist. They had a black crack on them, too. "That can't be good."

"Captain!"

"Rangiku?" Toshiro looked over his shoulder. Rangiku and the others had just arrived. They had a few scrapes and specks of dirt on them, but other than that, they were fine. "Are you alright?"

"We're fine." Ichigo answered. "So, what's going on?"

_Why?_ Epona thought while Toshiro was filling the others in on the situation. _Why is she defying the darkness?_ Epona looked at Ren, who was cocking her head to different sides in confusion. _That girl is a liability to my goal. She should be down on the ground, and yet she is still standing. Why is it that she still fights?_ Then, Epona remembered the attack Ren did when she was attacked Toshiro with her dark fire. The fire was different from before. Stronger. Could the reincarnation and Ren's power be linked?

"Yes…" Epona said quietly. With barely a sound, Epona created another dagger in her hand. "It's because of him." Epona glared at Toshiro and clenched her weapon. Nobody noticed this was going on, except for Steph. She nudged Tom and when he turned his attention to Steph, she pointed at Epona discreetly. "It's because of that boy." Epona fell into her shadow and vanished.

"Everybody!" Steph shouted.

"Watch out!" Tom yelled.

"!" Everybody immediately looked alert after that yell, not sure what to expect. But, that all stopped when they saw the shadows ripple beneath their feet.

"It's Epona. Everyone, move!" Toshiro yelled. "Don't let her-" Toshiro was immediately cut off from his sentence at the sound of metal piercing flesh.

"…" The rest of the group stared on, speechless at what had just happened. Without warning, Epona had appeared in front of Toshiro undetected and she was partially crouched down, her hair hiding her eyes. Toshiro, meanwhile, wasn't too sure what had just happened. He could see Epona's hair, and he knew she had attacked him, but he couldn't feel any pain. What Toshiro did feel was something trickling out of his mouth, and all he could taste was lead. He slowly looked down. Epona was clenching her dagger with both hands, and the blade was lodged firmly into his stomach. The red of his blood was slowly spreading through the cream colour of his hooded cardigan. Toshiro, still unable to comprehend what was happening, reached a hand up to his new wound and touched the hilt of Epona's dagger. It felt wet and warm to the touch, and upon removing it, he saw the tips of his fingers were coated in blood. Then, everybody, including him, heard the sound of liquid hitting the pavement as drops of his blood dripped off the dagger. Steph covered her mouth with her hands, barely supressing a scream, and Tom placed a hand on Steph's shoulder in silent comfort, unable to take his eyes away from Toshiro. Likewise, the Soul Reapers were unable to believe, or even understand, what had happened until they saw the blood dripping on the ground.

"T…To" Ichigo stuttered. "TOSHIRO!" He yelled, finally recovering from the shock of what had just happened. No sooner had he yelled Toshiro's name, Epona pulled her dagger out of Toshiro, a gush of blood following it, and jumped back, letting Toshiro drop to his knees and then onto his side, his hands over the stab wound as if trying to stop the blood from flowing out, but this was clearly futile, as a puddle of blood was slowly spreading around him. After the shock, the pain of the stab wound was all too clear to Toshiro, and it was without a doubt the most painful thing he ever experienced in his Gigai. In his Soul Reaper form, a wound like this was just like getting hit by a paintball on bare skin; an annoyance more than something painful. But, now that he was powerless, it was like somebody had stabbed him with a burning poker rather than a knife.

"Captain Hitsugaya, hang in there! Rukia!"

"I'm on it. You'll be fine, Captain Hitsugaya. Stay with us."

"Captain!"

"Toshiro!"

"Is he going to be okay?!"

"Don't worry, Steph. He'll be fine. I think…"

"…" Ren still wasn't able to process what was going on. All she could see was red, and the metallic smell was heavy in the air. The smell of blood. Ren came back to her senses as soon as she realised that the blood was coming from Toshiro. Her friend. The person she wanted to protect the most. He was bleeding!

"SHIRO!" Ren almost screamed, running towards him and skidding onto her knees. Toshiro, hearing her voice, opened one eye, and through blurred vision, he saw rainbow socks and a light orange skirt. Looking up as best he could, he saw Ren staring down at him, horrified.

"Ren…" Toshiro said quietly, not finding the strength to make his voice any louder. "Don't worry about me. Focus on Epona. I'll live. You know that." Toshiro stopped talking as an even more intense ripple of pain went through his body, and his hands began to shake.

"Don't talk, Captain!" Rangiku said frantically.

"…" Ren kept silent, her eyes hidden by shadows. Ren raised a hand up and pointed her palm at Toshiro's face.

"Ren?" Toshiro said, noticing this strange behaviour. The others were also momentarily confused. What was she planning to do? Was she going to ignore Epona and heal him?

"I'm sorry." Ren said.

"?" Toshiro wasn't sure what to make of that. He knew Ren had a habit of apologising, but this apology wasn't out of habit. It was genuine. But, what was she apologising for? As he thought about this, a cloud of a yellow, dust-like substance floated out of her palm, glittering like stars, and engulfed Toshiro's head. It vanished after about three heartbeats, and without a word, Toshiro's eyes closed, his head dropped down, and he was still.

He's unconscious. Rukia thought, sensing the disturbance in Toshiro's body as soon as the dust hit him. No. Not unconscious. He's…asleep. Ren stood up silently.

"Take him as far away from here as you can."

"What? No! Tell us what you did to him!" Renji demanded.

"Do what she says." Steph said firmly. She heard Ren's tone of voice. And she knew it all too well. It was the kind of tone that made you want to run away and not look back. Ren was about to snap.

"Steph's right." Tom said. "Let's leave Epona to Ren."

"Tch." Renji looked away, frustrated. "Why am I taking orders from a human?" Renji wondered out loud, picking up Toshiro carefully.

"Let's go." Rangiku, turned around and ran off down the street, the others following close behind. While they ran, neither Epona nor Ren moved a muscle. When the sound of scurrying footsteps vanished, the only sound left was the wind blowing through the trees, and still, none of the two girls moved. Nobody had noticed, but another crack had appeared on Ren's Shackles.

"Why did you send them away?" Epona asked, breaking the silence. No response. "No matter. I'll just catch up to them once I've dealt with you." Epona held up her dagger, which was still dripping with blood. "I will create the perfect world, and I will erase anything and anyone who gets in my way." Ren still didn't say anything, or even move in acknowledgement. "Don't fight it. Everyone succumbs to the darkness. Even you did. But, since you and the boy are resistant for some reason, I will eliminate you. When it comes to my goal, I make no mistakes."

"You just did."

"Hm?" Epona lowered her dagger arm, surprised for the first time in a long while. One, Ren had responded to her. Two, Ren sounded different. She didn't sound cheery like usual.

"You just made the biggest mistake of your life." Ren started to turn her head, and Epona was met with a new expression on Ren's face that she thought she would never see on her, of all people. Her eyes were narrow. Her bright blue eyes had lost their shine. Her face was dark with shadows. Her teeth were clenched. Epona knew that face. It was the look of pure rage; an emotion she never thought Ren was capable of. "You made me angry." Ren said slowly. She turned all the way around, and tall fireballs reaching past her own head appeared in the palms of Ren's hands. Epona took a step back, intimidated by this new Ren.

"So…So what if you're angry?" Epona said, trying not to show her fear. "Your fire is still no match for my shadows. We're still at an impasse!" But, Epona's dissuasion did nothing to Ren, and she brought the heels of her hands together and shot huge blast of fire at her. With wide eyes, Epona conjured up a wall of darkness, but the fire burst through it effortlessly, and Epona was propelled back from the force, crashing into a building several metres behind her and denting it with a shallow crater. Epona slid onto the ground, and managed to sit up shakily. Epona flinched as soon as she heard footsteps approaching. Through the dust and dark smoke, Epona could clearly see the two tall fireballs, and they were getting closer. At this point, Epona was experiencing an emotion she thought she would never feel again. Fear. She was terrified of a human.

"You know, Epona…" Ren began, still hidden by the smoke and dust. "I like to see myself as a rational person. Someone who thinks with her head and not her heart. Someone who doesn't let her emotions get the better of her. However, you have been trying my patience these last few days. Believe it or not, I was actually willing to forgive you for what you did to me. But then, you had to hurt Shiro. Now, you've all but lost any chance of forgiveness. I like to see myself as a rational person, but just this once…" With one wave of her hand, Ren made the smoke clear away enough to reveal herself, and the darkness of the dust made the flames that much brighter, and made Ren even more terrifying, while all Epona could do was stare up at Ren unsmiling face, paralysed by fear. "I'd like to be irrational for a change."

**Uh oh! Ren is PIIIIIIISED! Next chapter, the fight between Ren and Epona reaches its climax. Who will come out on top? Find out in the next chapter, only in Fate and Destiny.**


	26. Shattered

**Alright, so last time, Epona attacked Ren, and she didn't really do much fighting back until she got scratched. And now that Epona stabbed Toshiro, Ren is madder than ever, and is all too willing to burn somebody into cinders! But, what's happening to her Shackles? Why are they cracking? How will the battle between Ren and Epona end? We'll find out in three, two, one, now!**

Chapter 24

Shattered

"AAAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGH!" Renji yelled in frustration. "I can't believe we ran! Why did we run?!"

"Because I told you to?" Steph quipped in nervously.

"Exactly!" Renji exclaimed. "And now we're who knows where while Ren takes on that girl!"

"We're actually in Cliff Street." Tom said.

"Not helping!" Renji snapped.

"Calm down, you fool!" Rukia gave Renji a swift knock on the head, shutting him up and leaving Renji to nurse the new bump on his head. Although, right now, she could understand why he was frustrated. She felt that way, too. But, without their captain, they probably wouldn't be able to fight that sad looking girl. It had been twenty minutes since Ren told them to escape, and everyone was on edge while hiding in this street. Ichigo was leaning on a wall, muttering and cursing under his breath as though he were having a mental argument with someone. Rangiku was refusing to leave Toshiro's side, and using whatever healing Kido she knew on him. And even Rukia was finding it hard to keep still. But, to Rukia's surprise, the only ones keeping their cool were Steph and Tom. They didn't look at all nervous, or even scared. Rukia smiled a little. It was funny how the Soul Reapers, who have been in this situation many times before, were nervous and frustrated, and yet two humans, who had never even fought in a battle until today, were perfectly calm. It must be because of their faith in Ren. Speaking of which…

"I must ask, though…" Rukia started, looking at the two humans. "Why did you tell us to leave?"

"Well, anyone who knows Ren a long time knows the golden rules about her. This is one of them." Steph said.

"And that rule is, if Ren is mad, there's a minimum safe distance." Tom said.

"How long is that?" Rukia asked.

"I'd say about five metres, seven tops. Or ten, if you're feeling cautious." Tom guessed.

"But we're way further than that." Ichigo pointed out.

"We figured that now that Ren has powers, the minimum safe distance would be a lot more. And believe me; Ren is not to be messed with when she's angry." Steph asserted, wagging her finger a little to emphasise her point.

"Why?" Renji asked. Almost as if on cue, there was a massive explosion in the distance, and dark smoke rose up from the buildings and into the sky. It was quite far away, but it was close enough for the group to faintly smell the smoke.

"Because that." Tom answered, pointing at the smoke.

"Good call." Ichigo said.

"Lieutenant Matsumoto, I'll take it from here." Rukia kneeled down beside Toshiro and started healing him.

"Thank you." Rangiku said quietly.

"It's alright. He'll live." Rukia reassured Rangiku.

"That's not why I'm worried. Well, it is, but…" Rangiku looked up at the smoke.

"Ren will be fine. Have faith in her. Just like her friends" Rukia looked at the sleeping face of Toshiro, which looked surprisingly peaceful, considering the fact that he had a hole in his stomach. "Just like Captain Hitsugaya." Rukia's hands glowed with the healing Kido and she carried on healing Toshiro's wound. The bleeding had almost stopped completely, and that just left the wound to close up. Rangiku was more skilled with healing Kido than she thought. This would take a few more minutes to heal, but since Ren was keeping Epona busy, Rukia felt she had no need to worry. But that thought went away when she saw Toshiro's face twitch as though he were in pain.

_What?_ Rukia thought. _The stab wound is almost completely healed. So why is he still in pain? Where is it coming from? Where?_ Using every ounce of knowledge she had of healing, Rukia used it to search Toshiro's body for any more injuries. Nothing. Although, she did sense a strange disturbance in his body. Especially on his back.

"Lieutenant Matsumoto, could you raise Captain Hitsugaya's body up? I need to check his back." Rukia asked.

"Okay." Rangiku didn't object, but she was confused about why she asked that. She was certain her captain had no injuries on his back. But, she raised Toshiro's upper body up as gently as she could. Rukia immediately went behind him. At first glance, there was nothing out of the ordinary. Just a couple of blood stains from his injuries. Rukia reached out and placed a hand on his back. Still nothing.

_Maybe it's somewhere else…_ Rukia thought. She slid her hand to the left slowly until she reached his left shoulder blade. As soon as she did, Rukia's hand recoiled away on a reflex. It felt hot. It felt like her hand just got burned, but there were no burn marks on it. Hesitant, Rukia reached out towards the right shoulder blade. As soon as her fingertips touched it, she pulled away again. They were burning like she had just stuck her fingers inside an open fire, yet again, there were no signs of a burn, but there may as well be one with the intensity of the heat she felt. _His back is burning. No wonder he's in pain! And it's no ordinary injury. I don't think I can heal it. But why is it happening?_

"Rukia, what is it?" Rangiku asked, concerned not only for Toshiro, but the fact that Rukia was eerily quiet.

"Nothing." Rukia lied. "You can put him down now." Rangiku obeyed, and Toshiro winced in pain again.

_At least he's conscious._ Rukia thought, reassuring herself. _At least he's still alive. And when Epona is defeated…When Captain Hitsugaya wakes up…I'll ask him myself._ Rukia looked towards the huge cloud of smoke. _For now, we must wait._

…

"Damn…" Epona cursed breathlessly. She staggered onto her feet, coughing from the smoke and fire surrounding her and her opponent. Epona's clothes were partially torn up and her pale skin was coloured with dirt and blood. Her blood. And right in front of Epona was the girl making her bleed. A human by the name of Ren Conner. Aside from slight blood stains from less than a few minutes ago, Ren didn't have a single mark on her body. Her Fire Shackles were glowing brighter than any flame Epona had ever seen, and there was a fire in Ren's eyes to match. Ren was right. Epona truly had made a mistake to provoke her. She had never seen a fury like this before. Her face was blank, if not expressionless, and Ren looked so calm, it was almost creepy. After she was exposed to the darkness, had her hometown threatened, her friends lives put at risk and her dearest friend near death, anyone would think she would be angrier at first glance. But no. She had a look of utmost serenity on her face. The only thing betraying her real emotions was the look in her eyes. Ren was staring at Epona as though she wanted to slice her up into a thousand pieces. Or, judging by the ferocity of the fire surrounding them, burn her into ashes. Right now, Ren was so angry, she had completely forgotten the fact that black cracks were appearing on her Shackles, and that they were gradually increasing in number and size the longer she remained angry.

"Are you going to kill me?" Epona asked, making it sound like a challenge. Ren said nothing. "Well? Are you?" Epona yelled. Again, Ren was silent. "I must admit, this is quite a confidence boost. You were running away before, but now, you're fighting me like a true warrior. Is it because I harmed your comrades?"

"…" Ren narrowed her eyes a little and her fist clenched, fire forming around her knuckles, and another thin crack appearing on her Shackles.

"I'll take that as a 'yes', shall I?" Epona said. "But, you know…anger can be a form of darkness, too, especially when it's on the behalf of others. Those who stay in it too long will inevitably fall into despair. And from despair comes the darkness. No matter how this fight ends, I will win."

"No." Ren said, speaking for the first time in minutes. "You're wrong about that."

"Hm?" Epona braced herself again, wondering what was coming up next. Ren was reckless when she fought before, but now, she was even more unpredictable than before.

"The only one who will fall into the black pits of despair…" Fireballs engulfed Ren's hands, and the fire surrounding the pair seemed to get taller all of a sudden. "Is you."

"…" Epona's expression slowly went from her trademark sad face to one of determination. "Very well." The dark clouds of Epona's Shadow Shackles became even thicker. "If you're going to fight seriously, then so will I." A cloud of black smoke formed from up the ground and behind Epona, and some more smoke spread around the pair. Ren looked around, watching the smoke spread.

_The fire is changing…_ Ren noted mentally.

"During your time with me…" Epona started, bringing Ren's attention back to her. "You noticed how my powers revolve around the darkness, both of the world and of the soul. However, you seem to have forgotten the true name of my Shackles." The ground below the feet of the girls started to get darker, and the shadows emitted from the fire seemed to look more sinister, as well as the shadows of Epona and Ren. "They are not Darkness Shackles. They are…"

"!" Ren's eyes widened. Quickly, she jumped back from where she stood, just as Epona's own shadow stretched out towards her. As soon as Ren had jumped a few metres back, she quickly created a line of fire between her and the shadow with one swift movement of her arm.

"You actually have some intelligence behind your air-headed nature." Epona said. "You remembered, then. My Shackles are actually the Shadow Shackles."

"Of course I remember. You told Shiro about them when I was under your spell." Ren said bitterly, and without anyone noticing, a few more cracks appeared on her Shackles.

"And you have forgotten something else. Our shadows aren't the only ones here." With a wave of her hand, Epona made the shadows of the flames grow thicker and larger, and the tips were heading towards Ren. With another wave, the shadows suddenly burst out of the ground in spikes and fists, ready to strike.

"Damn." Ren cursed, creating fire around her hands. The shadowed weapons and fists dove down to attack her, and Ren managed to deflect most of the attacks with some well-placed fire punches, dispelling the shadows, but within seconds, they reformed again and kept attacking her. Ren was finding it even harder to keep up with the attacks, and resorted to using more than just her fists, and kept shooting streams of fire at the shadows, but no matter what she did, the shadows kept attacking here, and every so often, one such attack would graze her enough to draw blood.

"It's useless." Epona said, watching as Ren fought off the shadows as best she could. Some of Epona's shallower injuries had started to heal already, while Ren was getting even more than Epona previously had. "No matter where you go, no matter what you do, the shadows and the darkness will always follow you. This is a pointless fight. Submit to the darkness and I may show mercy."

"!" Ren growled a little after this. "NEVER!" She yelled. Ignoring how her Shackles cracked a little more, Ren raised her fists above her head and a fireball formed around them, and the shadows were drawn away from the bright light she was creating. The ring of fire flickered towards the fireball, and it eventually grew towards the fireball as though it were being sucked in. Soon, all of the fire surrounding the two girls was inside this fireball, making it from the same size as a human head to the size of a car. "BURN!" Ren threw the fireball towards Epona, and there was a massive explosion from the impact of the fireball on the building behind Epona. The fire quickly spread to most of the floors of the building, filling the already dark sky with ashen, foul-smelling smoke. Panting, Ren watched the fire for any signs of Epona. Concerned with the silence, Ren parted the fires, and Epona was right in the middle of it, her skin partially burned from the flames. The force of the blast had made her crash into the building behind her, and she was slammed into it at such force, she was almost part of the building itself.

_That was close._ Epona thought. _If I hadn't countered that blast with my Shadow Wall, I would probably have died._ Epona glared at Ren, who was still getting her breath back. _This girl really intends to kill me._ Epona narrowed her eyes a little. _Wait…What's that?_ Epona squinted at Ren's Fire Shackles. They had black cracks on them. Some were thick, and some were thin, but almost the entirety of the Shackles were covered with them. _What are those cracks for? Are her Shackles reaching their limit?_ Epona looked at the Shackles around her right hand. _I've never seen that happen to mine. What could this mean?_

"…" Without a word, Ren raised a hand towards Epona, and the fires around her travelled across the ground away from Epona and towards Ren, where they formed a fireball in Ren's palm. Ren placed her hand on top of the fireball, and it shrunk to the size of a tennis ball with a few hand motions, until she clasped her hands together.

"You have also forgotten one thing." Ren said. "You may have power over darkness…" Ren unclasped her hands, and the fireball was gone. "But even shadows need the light. You can preach all you want about the world being made of darkness or whatever it is you believe. I'm here to tell you that your shadows are useless without my light."

"I see…" Epona said slowly, finally managing to pull herself free of the building, albeit with a slight wobble. "It seems we have both reached an impasse once again. And if this keeps up, we'll reach our limits."

"Hm." Ren said in mutual agreement.

"However, I have a solution that could end our conflict." The shadows under Epona's feet rippled. "I shall make you fall into the black pits of despair. Forever…" With that ominous statement, the shadows underneath Epona covered her completely, shrunk into the shadow and disappeared.

"What? Where is she?" Ren looked all around her. Nothing. "Show yourself!" Ren yelled.

_Damn it. Where is she?_ Ren thought. _And what did that 'pits of despair' part mean, anyway?_

"Hold on…"

"_But, you know…anger can be a form of darkness, too, especially when it's on the behalf of others. Those who stay in it too long will inevitably fall into despair. And from despair comes the darkness. No matter how this fight ends, I will win."_

_She said something about anger being darkness. And on the behalf of others. What does that have to do with…?_ Ren didn't let herself finish that thought. She figured out what Epona meant. And she knew exactly where Epona was going!

…

"This way." Steph pointed around the corner. "If we follow this street, it will lead us to the bus station."

"But with this city being deserted, there's no way they're running now." Renji pointed out. "And even if they were, I doubt they'd let us on. Especially since they can't see us and, well…" Renji indicated the sleeping Toshiro on his back. Rukia, Rangiku and Ichigo were right behind Renji, keeping their eyes open for any surprise attacks.

"We know." Steph said.

"But Ren told us to get as far away from the fight as possible. And we're simply not safe in the street like that. And Toshiro's life isn't in any danger anymore, so it's best if we keep moving." Tom said.

"I still can't believe we're following orders from a human and her friends." Renji grumbled.

"Keep quiet." Rukia almost hissed. "You can tell Ren what you think when this is over. In case you haven't forgotten, there's a member of White Raven here, and she wants Captain Hitsugaya dead. It's best we do what those two say. They know Ren better than any of us, after all."

"Urgh…fine!" Renji said with reluctance and frustration.

"…" Rangiku and Ichigo said nothing throughout, keeping their eyes and ears peeled for any strange sights and sounds.

"You see anything?" Rukia asked Ichigo.

"Nothing yet." Ichigo answered. "All I've heard since splitting up from Ren are a few explosions. Now, I don't hear anything."

"It's too quiet." Rangiku agreed. "I think we might be in a fight soon."

"Hey, do you know anywhere open nearby?" Ichigo asked the two humans. "Epona might be heading this way."

"Well, uh…there's a town square this way, past the bus station." Steph pointed straight ahead towards an alleyway and past some parked buses. "It's not as big as King's Square, but it's still spacious."

"Hey, what's that?" Rangiku asked, pointing up at the sky. Everyone stopped walking and looked in the direction Rangiku was pointing. In the distance, there was a figure flying through the sky with black, feathered wings and a dark cloud of smoke following them, and it was getting closer with each second.

"It's Epona!" Ichigo immediately recognised her.

"Town square, let's go! Run!" Tom said briskly, breaking off into a run.

"This way!" Steph followed after him, and the other Soul Reapers let them lead the way. Epona spotted the group running in the distance.

"No matter what…" Epona sped up and whooshed through the sky towards them. "Ren will fall into the darkness. Just like I did. Just like anybody does. You cannot avoid the darkness." Etheline, meanwhile, had already arrived at the town square the others were heading towards. She sat down on the edge of a building again.

"What is that girl thinking?" Etheline said, agitated. "If this keeps up, Epona is going to absolutely lose it. That is, unless that woman does first. The way she's been fuming recently, I wouldn't be surprised if she exploded." Etheline giggled at the image. "Well, if she loses, the girl is mine."

"Alright, we're here!" Steph went into the centre of the square. As she said, it was significantly smaller than King's Square, but it was still quite big; about the size of four tennis courts.

"Perfect timing. Epona's getting closer." Ichigo held Zangetsu out in front of him, ready to fight.

"Protect Captain Hitsugaya at all costs." Rukia drew her zanpakuto and prepared herself.

"You don't have to tell me." Rangiku also drew her sword. "Renji, stay back."

"Right." Renji nodded.

"This way." Tom beckoned Renji towards an alleyway. "We can hide Toshiro here." Renji quickly ducked inside the alleyway, just as he heard an explosion that rocked the ground a little. Steph let out a yell of surprise and regained her balance by grabbing onto a nearby dumpster.

"That must be Epona." Tom said, helping Renji get Toshiro off his back and leaning him against the wall. "Renji, we'll keep Toshiro safe here. Go help the others."

"You still got her guns?" Renji asked.

"…" Tom and Steph answered by holding them up.

"Alright, but I'm sticking close." Renji side stepped out of the alleyway, and came face to face with Epona standing in front of the group, her wings flexing and fluttering a little after her landing had dented the ground.

_She didn't notice me._ Renji thought. He shrank back into the shadows, remaining as invisible as possible. _I can sneak an attack if I time it right._ Renji's hand went to the hilt of Zabimaru, ready to make a move.

"Where's Ren?" Ichigo demanded. Epona said nothing, narrowing her eyes. "Answer me, damn it!"

"Why should I answer to weaklings?" Epona asked. After that comment, something seemed to snap.

"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki!"

"Growl, Haineko!"

With those commands, Rukia's sword turned a brilliant white, and the ground underneath her feet seemed to turn white with it. Rangiku's sword turned to ashes and floated in a cloud around her hilt. Ichigo gripped his Zangetsu, ready to attack her full on.

"They think they can take her on?" Etheline placed her head in her hand, leaning on her knee. She gave a sly smile. "That's just adorable."

"I'll ask you one more time; where is she?"

"She's back where I left her." Epona answered. Her wings glowed and shot into her back, vanishing. "By the time she gets here, if she does, the reincarnation will be dead, and she will fall into the blackest pits of darkness, as will you. Now, get out of my way."

"Not a chance!" Ichigo raised his sword up. "Getsuga Tensho!" With one slash, a blue wave of spiritual energy sped towards Epona, uprooting the ground as it went. There was an explosion of dust when it reached the target. But, the smoke quickly cleared away to reveal a shadow wall in front of Epona, glowing blue from the attack, and the blue glow vanished quickly. Epona stepped around the wall, unharmed, and looked at Ichigo, who was in shock over the fact that Epona blocked his attack.

"You seem to be the strongest of the three." Epona said. "Here." Epona waved her hand, and the wall divided into three balls of black smoke. Without warning, the three balls of smoke charged towards the Soul Reapers, and they began to change shape from round to tall, and seem to gain four new limbs. They were turning into people!

"Whoa!" Ichigo managed to block an attack from a shadow that reached him, and the girls also managed to block their shadows somehow. The shadows were more human like as each one pressed against the swords, gaining eyes, mouth and short, spiky hair.

"Wait. That's…" Ichigo's eyes widened when the face of his shadowed opponent became more pronounced. "That's me!" Sure enough, each ball of shadow had evolved into an exact replica of Ichigo. The only way to tell them apart was that these clones were made solely of shadows, and everything on their person, besides their eyes and mouth, was coloured black. The clones cackled and continued to attack the Soul Reapers.

"But like I said, I don't deal with weaklings." Epona said. She walked through the square, not even flinching when Rukia jumped in her path and leapt up into the air again to avoid an attack from her Ichigo Shadow. "Fight those until you feel calmer. By the time you're done, that boy will be dead." Epona stopped in the centre of the square, looking left and right. Renji shrank back further, still remaining unseen.

_She still hasn't spotted me. Good._ Renji began to unsheathe his sword quietly. Suddenly, Epona threw a dagger at Renji without looking. Renji's eyes widened. Quickly, he drew Zabimaru all the way and knocked the dagger off course, sending it clattering to the ground. Epona looked in the direction she threw the dagger.

"You fool." She said. "If you think you can hide from me, you are mistaken. Have you forgotten what my domain is?" She noticed the alleyway behind Renji. "And I'm guessing the reincarnation is in there."

"Heh. So much for a sneak attack." Renji said with a smirk. With a flick of his sword, his sword transformed into its Shikai form, and Renji pointed it at Epona. "Name's Renji. Renji Abarai."

"Renji?" Epona repeated. "So you're that 'Red Pineapple' Ren talked about."

_She even knows about that?!_ Renji thought, sweat dropping.

"That's me." Renji said, a little disheartened.

"I understand the nickname now. You do resemble a pineapple significantly." Epona created another dagger in her hand, holding it up to her face. "Now stand aside."

"Sorry, but I'm not gonna let you through without a fight."

"Please, you couldn't even scratch me before." Epona said calmly. "Why do you think you can harm me now?"

"Because the lives of my friends are in danger, that's why!" Renji then slashed Zabimaru towards Epona, and she jumped up in the air to avoid it, letting the tip crash into the ground. She threw several daggers towards Renji, who simply ducked his head left and right to avoid them. "You missed." Renji said as Epona landed.

"I never miss." Epona retorted as Zabimaru reformed itself.

"Well, you did. Now, you-" Renji cut himself off before he could attack. Or rather, he would attack, but for some reason, his arm wasn't moving. Neither were his legs. "What the…I can't move."

"As I said, I never miss. Go ahead and look behind you."

"…" Renji did as he was asked, thinking that his head wouldn't move, but surprisingly, it did. He looked over his right shoulder, and he saw the dagger had stabbed the ground behind him.

"Look where my daggers are. Notice anything?" Epona asked.

"!" Renji's eyes widened. "You." Renji turned his head towards Epona, glaring at her. "You pinned my shadow."

"So, you realise my power. I don't recall telling you what my power was."

"Oh, then I suppose those things are just smoke, are they?" Renji retorted, tilting his head in the direction of the Ichigo Shadows.

"Smarter than you look. Ren warned me about that."

"She did?" Renji said, surprised. Epona nodded.

"Whenever she spoke of you during the times I led her into darkness, it would be with some form of annoyance. Yet, there was also a great deal of respect."

"…" Despite the situation, Renji found himself feeling pretty happy about what Epona said. Ren respected him, even if she did annoy him and vice versa.

"You deserve to know that much." Epona continued. She started to walk towards Renji. "After all, I will kill you after the reincarnation."

"…" Renji tried to move his body, or even form a fist, his body shaking from the effort, but nothing. He was completely paralysed except for his head and neck, and it wasn't anywhere near enough to give Epona a head-butt. So, when Epona started to walk past him, all Renji could do was glare at her with clenched teeth and fury in his eyes. Steph and Tom saw Epona approaching, and while they were fearful, they pointed their guns at Epona. But, Epona was unperturbed, and stopped at the entrance to the alleyway.

"Aren't you going to shoot?" Epona asked. Tom and Steph hesitated, finding themselves unwilling to pull their triggers at her. After the way she dealt with the others, they knew full well they were no match for her.

"Heh." Etheline smirked. "I knew this wouldn't last long. And that woman is nowhere to be seen. Oh, this is going to be beautiful." Etheline licked her lips and smiled.

"Back away from the reincarnation." Epona calmly ordered, still not losing her sad expression. She created a dagger in her right hand. "Or else your blood will spill with his."

"Leave them out of this!" Renji yelled, looking over his shoulder at Epona. "They have nothing to do with you!"

"But they do. They are Ren's best friends. Therefore, they should be among the first to die."

_This is it._ Tom thought, wide eyed with fear.

_We're going to die._ Steph thought, hearing her gun rattle as she shook.

"Your blood shall pave a new way to the darkness." Epona raised her dagger up, ready to throw it between one of their eyes. But, a whoosh of fire whisked her off her feet, and before she could wonder what was happening, Epona found her head meeting the pavement with such force, she could feel soil underneath her skin.

"Huh?" Tom and Steph peered around the corner to see what had happened. It was a person, and she was on top of Epona, holding her head down with her hand. Steph and Tom immediately recognised her.

"Ren!" Steph beamed.

"You." Epona muttered, turning her head as best she could to look up at Ren. Ren was glaring down at her, her face full of anger and her Shackles with more cracks than before. Ren was so angry right now, some fire occasionally flickered out of her Shackles and fell to the ground harmlessly.

"You will not harm my friends." Ren said with clenched teeth.

"Very well, I shall spare them." Epona agreed. "However, you will be the one to kill them."

"What?" Ren said, taken aback.

"For very soon, you shall fall into darkness again. Only this time…" Epona created a dagger in her hand without Ren noticing. "It will be permanent." Epona thrust her dagger deep into Ren's belly.

"Gack!" Ren let go of Epona and staggered back, clutching her wound.

"Ren!" Steph cried, seeing the blood dripping off Ren's hands. With that, the fear Steph and Tom previously had vanished, and without hesitating, they drew their guns and fired several fireballs at Epona. But, with another shadow wall, Epona blocked the attacks, and the shadow sped towards the humans and knocked them off their feet.

"I am not here for you." Epona pointed her palm at the alleyway they had emerged out of. "I'm here for him." After saying this, Toshiro's body floated out the alleyway, surrounded in a spiral of black smoke. Epona held him up in the air directly in front of her. She noticed how Toshiro occasionally flinched.

"So he is alive." Epona said. "This human is tougher than I thought. No matter. I have snuffed out lights before. This shouldn't be any different."

"Don't you dare hurt Shiro!" Ren yelled, creating a fireball in each hand. Epona glanced her way. Epona created some daggers out of nowhere, and they sped towards Ren. "Ah!" Ren ducked out of the way of the daggers, and she was about to throw her fireballs, but found that she could not. "Eh? What's going on?" Ren looked behind her, and saw that three daggers had pierced the ground behind her. Two more daggers fell from the sky and pierced the ground with the others. Ren noticed how the daggers briefly shone with small stars.

_Telekinesis?_ Ren thought.

"You are not to act, only to observe." Epona said firmly as though she were disciplining a child.

"Epona, stop this!" Ren yelled, some of the anger vanishing from her voice. It now sounded quite desperate.

"Captain!"

"Captain Hitsugaya!"

"Toshiro!"

"You are not going to interfere, either." Epona said without turning to look at the three Soul Reapers. With another cackle, the three Ichigo Shadows split, and they jumped into the path of the Soul Reapers, leaving them with two clones to fight each, and they were getting a little worse for wear after fighting one.

"Stop it, Epona! Just stop it!" In desperation, Ren tried to use her telekinesis on the daggers, but all they did was wriggle a bit. They were there to stay.

"Fool. Only I can use the daggers to their full potential."

"Damn it, fight fair, you coward!" Renji yelled, getting frustrated at his helplessness and annoyed at being ignored.

"Forgive me, I forgot you were there." Epona said with no shred in sincerity. Epona made the daggers pinning Renji down vanish.

_I can move again._ Renji thought, flexing his arm a little. But, as soon as he had started moving, Renji was ambushed by about five shadowed figures.

"You guys again?! Get out of my way!" Renji slashed at them with his zanpakuto, but the shadows just reformed themselves almost instantly. "I don't have time for this!"

"Don't hurt my friends! I'm the one you want!"

"Silence." Epona said forcefully. "You are here to learn a lesson." Epona stared up at Toshiro's face. Slowly, the shadows around him crept up to Toshiro's neck, and he let out a strangled gasp, but that wasn't enough to bring him out of unconsciousness.

"Stop it, stop it, stop it!" Ren almost begged, shaking her head. But, Epona ignored her.

"Stay there, helpless and useless, knowing that their fates came because of you. Watch, as I bestow upon your friend the ultimate darkness."

"STOP IIIIIIIIIT!" Ren screamed, her eyes squeezed shut and on the verge of tears. Epona ignored her again as she materialised a dagger in her right hand. She narrowed her eyes.

"Death." After Epona said that word, everything seemed to go quiet for Ren

_Ba-bump_

_Death?_ Ren thought, opening her eyes wide. All of a sudden, images and a voice she didn't recognise flashed through her mind, only occasionally being interrupted by the fights her friends were in. And yet, all Ren did was stare at the ground in shock, her eyes almost blank.

"_Seriously, why are you even still alive?_

"Steph, watch out!" Tom yelled, pushing Steph out of the way of an attack from shadowed figure, which he shot through the head, making it disappear. But, another one rose out of the ground to take its place.

"There's too many of them!" Steph tried to fight some off with her own gun, and was successful, but like before, another one rose in its place.

"Hold on, I'm coming!" Renji tried to go over and help, but more shadowed figures blocked his way. "I said move it!" Renji kept slashing at them with his whip-like sword, but no matter what he did, he just couldn't get to the humans.

_Ba-bump_

"_Is there a point in you being here?"_

"Getsuga Tensho!" Ichigo managed to finally destroy one of the clones with a well-placed attack, and it vanished with a shriek. "One down." He said breathlessly, but didn't have enough time to get his breath back, because the second clone attacked him, forcing him to block.

_Ba-bump_

"_Is it worth staying alive when you're just a useless burden?"_

Ren's Fire Shackles started to burn even brighter, and a few more cracks appeared on them. And, nobody seemed to notice yet, but the daggers holding her shadow down were slowly starting to melt.

_Ba-bump_

"_There's no point if you're existence is lower than the dirt."_

In invisible breeze blew around Ren, with flits of fire occasionally dancing around her.

"Hm?" Etheline turned her attention to Ren. "What going on here, then?"

_Ba-bump_

"_You are a worthless being whose disappearance wouldn't even appear as a blip on the world's radar."_

"Captain!" Rangiku yelled, seeing how Toshiro was floating in front of Epona. Quickly, she attacked her Ichigo Shadow with her ashes, and it vanished with a screech, but like Ichigo earlier, the other clone held her back with a cackle, and it was the same for Rukia.

"We have to save the Captain." Rukia pushed her clone off her blade. "But these things aren't letting us pass."

_Ba-bump_

"_I couldn't stand it if I had such a pointless existence."_

"?" Tom noticed how there was sweat dripping from his forehead. He wiped it off before it could get in his eyes. "Hey, is it getting hot here or is it just me?"

"No I…I feel it too." After Steph said this, the shadowed figures attacking them suddenly stopped moving, and the shadowed smoke holding them together rippled. The same thing happened to Renji's.

"What the…What's going on?"

"…" Rukia, Ichigo and Rangiku stood on the spot, noticing how their opponents had also stopped moving. And since these ones had faces, they could tell that these shadows were in pain.

"…" Epona also noticed how the temperature seemed to rise, but she paid it no mind. The smoke around Toshiro's neck crept higher up until he let out a strangled choke. "So, you're still not waking up after all this. Oh, well." Epona raised her dagger hand up. "As long as you die, it's fine."

_Ba-bump_

"_If I were you, I would have ended it long ago."_

"Ah…"

"?" Epona turned to look at Ren. She was staring down at the ground, the invisible wind still blowing around her. Only this time, there was a circle of fire surrounding her no higher than her ankles. And she wasn't sure if it was her imagination or not, bur Ren's hair seemed to gradually go from dark blonde to red and orange. "What's this?" Epona wondered out loud. That's when she noticed a silver puddle behind Ren. Her eyes widened. "My daggers…She melted them. But it's impossible." The smoke around Toshiro's neck receded in her distraction. "Just what is happening?"

"Ah…A…Aaah…" The voice and the images kept flashing through Ren's mind. It gave her a headache. And, for some reason, it made her mad. Incredibly mad. And the fact that Epona was harming her friends only made it grow. More cracks appeared on Ren's Shackles, and her eyes seemed to shrink a little, while the colour of her irises flashed between blue and an orange-red colour. Then, she heard a voice. Her voice. And something made of glass shattering.

_Ba-bump_

"_SO DIE ALREADY!"_

_Crash_

Silence.

"UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Without any warning, Ren threw back her head and screamed. It was a scream that was made of pure, primal rage. With the scream came an explosion of fire surrounding her. The ground cracked beneath her feet. The circle of fire became a pillar of fire so fierce, it reached the sky and parted the dark clouds to reveal some sunlight. Fireballs shot out of the explosion, quickly destroying the remaining shadows, which vanished with shrieks and puffs of smoke. More cracks appeared on Ren's Shackles, but at a much more rapid pace. And through all this, Ren never stopped screaming.

"Wh-What's happening?!" Ichigo yelled over the roaring of the flames. Even though the flames were so hot, and so thick, everyone could still see Ren as plain as day. Steph and Tom, meanwhile, decided to brave the flames and made their way to Renji.

"Renji, what's going on?" Tom asked.

"I don't know." Renji answered, shielding his eyes.

"Look!" Steph pointed at Ren. "Her Shackles! They seem different!"

"What?" Rukia overheard Steph and took a look. "She's right! They're cracked!"

"What is going on?" Epona said, shocked at this development. The Fire Shackles had finally been completely overcome by the cracks, and with a loud smashing sound, the Shackle on Ren's right wrist broke. Then her left wrist. And finally her left and right ankles. No sooner had this happened, the fire pillar shrank, and the inferno span around Ren, completely obscuring her from view.

"Ren's Fire Shackles…"

"They broke?" Rukia finished for Rangiku in disbelief.

"What the hell is this woman?" Etheline said out loud, leaning forward to get a better look. In all her years of being a member of White Raven, she had never seen Shackles break before. Just what did this mean?

"Stay behind me." Renji moved Steph and Tom behind him, keeping Zabimaru raised and never taking his eyes away from the dome of fire surrounding Ren. Something burst out of the dome at an alarmingly fast speed. It was so fast, that Epona didn't even notice until it was up close. It was Ren. And she looked madder than ever. With one square punch, Epona was sent flying and crashed into a building with such force, it split in half and collapsed. The smoke around Toshiro vanished, but Ichigo skidded on the pavement and caught Toshiro before he could hit the ground. Ichigo looked at Toshiro. He had some red marks on his neck, but otherwise, he was fine. How Toshiro managed to sleep through all of this was beyond him.

"What…was that?" Epona climbed out of the rubble and glared at Ren. Or, at least, she thought it was Ren. All that was there was a figure covered in fire from head to toe. The only evidence that showed this was remotely human was the hair and the face, and even they were different. The hair was coloured red with orange highlights, and the eyes had turned orange-red. Without a word, Ren charged straight at Epona again, leaving a trail of rubble and fire behind her.

"Damn." Epona created a shadow wall, but Ren effortlessly crashed through it, sending them both flying through several more buildings, leaving the others behind and very confused.

"What just happened?" Tom asked.

"Your guess is as good as mine." Renji answered.

"I saw it earlier. Ren's Shackles had these black cracks on them." Rukia pointed at her wrist as she explained.

"And I heard this smashing sound, and then, Ren was covered in fire." Rangiku finished.

"So…Ren's Shackles broke?" Ichigo said. "Is that bad?"

"Whatever it means, she's fighting with Epona and it looks like she might win." Renji said. "The only question left is why it's happening."

"?" Rangiku spotted something from out the corner of her eye. Or rather, someone. Just barely visible was a ghostly girl. She wore the same clothes as Ren, and aside from the hair being longer, she looked like Ren, too. And she was looking towards the hole in the wall Ren and Epona crashed through. "Hey…" Rangiku pointed at the girl. Everyone looked. They saw her, too. But, she didn't seem to notice them. The girl narrowed her eyes a little.

"Just what is happening?" She said in a quiet voice. Even her voice sounded like Ren! Who, or what, is she? The girl looked towards Ichigo, who stepped back while still holding Toshiro, which alarmed her. "Why did he back away?" The girl wondered out loud.

"'Cos you came out of nowhere! It's called a reflex!" Ichigo exclaimed.

"Wait…" The girl pointed at Zena. "You can see me?"

_It's Rukia all over again…_ Ichigo thought, exasperated.

"Eep!" The girl squeaked when Renji pointed his Shikai at her.

"Who are you and why do you look like Ren?"

"Wow, Toshiro had the same reaction." The girl said with a smile, completely unintimidated by the threat.

"Answer the question!" Renji demanded. "And you can explain why you know Captain Hitsugaya, too."

"Alright, alright." The girl said calmly. "My name is Zena. And I believe that Ren is my descendant."

"Like Toshiro and Ryuki?" Steph asked.

"Sort of. I'm not sure about the connection myself, but she looks like me, and that's that."

"And you know Captain Hitsugaya why?" Renji pressed Zena for an answer.

"Who's Captain Hitsugaya?" Zena asked with a blank expression that everyone there recognised all too well. Renji pointed at Ichigo with his sword. Zena looked, and she gasped at the sight of Toshiro. "What happened?" She immediately rushed to his side.

"You still haven't answered the question." Renji said, lowering his sword after realising that any attacks he makes would be useless.

"I've…been speaking with him for a few days now. I didn't want to show myself to Ren just yet. She seemed like the type of person who freaks out at things like that."

"That's true." Tom agreed while Steph nodded her head.

"Now, about Toshiro…"

"He's been stabbed by Epona. I've managed to heal it so that it's not too serious. But, for some reason, he's still unconscious. Not even Epona strangling him woke him up." Rukia explained.

"Excuse me, um…" Zena scratched her face. "Ichigo…right?" Ichigo nodded. "Could you put him down, please?" Ichigo obeyed, gently laying Toshiro back on the ground. Zena placed her ghostly hand on the blood stain over his stomach. "This is some good healing. You certainly have a talent."

"Um…thanks." Rukia said with a small blush, strangely flattered by the compliment.

"Fortunately, this wound will heal by itself in a few more minutes. Toshiro's Cielvian regeneration has already been put into effect since a few days ago. And the strain on his neck isn't too serious, either. Also, I detect some kind of Cielvian spell…A sleep spell. Whoever cast it didn't want him to wake up for um…" Zena squinted a little as she thought. "One hour."

"That's what that yellow dust from earlier was." Rangiku realised, tapping a fist on her palm.

"So far, about a half hour has gone by. He'll wake up by himself after the other half goes by."

"Zena…I'm sorry to ask you this, but could you undo that spell now?" Ichigo asked. "We need to ask you something else, and I want him to be awake when you tell us."

"Very well." Zena said. Zena moved her hand from Toshiro's stomach to his face. A few seconds went by, and the yellow dust from before appeared around his head, and it floated up into Zena's palm until there wasn't a speck to be found. Immediately, Toshiro groaned and his eyes twitched right before they opened. Toshiro coughed a little and propped his upper body up with his elbow.

"Hey… What's going on?" Toshiro asked in a groggy voice, rubbing some sleep out of his eyes.

"Thank goodness." Rangiku sighed, relieved that her captain was okay, as were everybody else surrounding him. Toshiro blinked a couple times, gradually becoming fully awake. When he had full awareness, he suddenly remembered what was happening.

"Epona attacked…and…" Toshiro's eyes widened. "Ren!" Toshiro sat up a little too quickly, as he immediately winced in pain and clutched his stomach.

"Toshiro! You shouldn't move around too much!" Steph placed a hand on his shoulder. "You're still injured."

_That's right…_ Toshiro thought, looking at his wound. He remembered when Epona attacked him. _She stabbed me. And then…I don't know what happened afterwards. But, at least the bleeding has stopped. Even so…why did she put me to sleep?_

"What's happening?" Toshiro asked. He looked around him, noticing how one was missing. "And where's Ren?"

"Um…Not sure…Probably…" Tom said slowly pointing at the wrecked building and the explosions of fire and shadows. "Over there."

"That doesn't explain a lot." Toshiro said bluntly.

"We're just as confused as you are, Toshiro. That's why we're asking Zena." Ichigo indicated Zena, who gave a shy wave with a matching shy smile.

"It's Captain Hitsugaya. And you." Toshiro turned to Zena. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I became concerned when Ren's power kept spiking, so I came out to see what was going on."

"And?" Toshiro asked.

"I have no idea!" Zena said brightly.

"YOU'RE USELESS!" Everybody exclaimed angrily.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Zena raised her hands up in defence. "What I meant to say is that I need more details." Zena's face became much more focused. "Now, was there anything strange about Ren?"

"Well, she did get really angry after Epona stabbed Toshiro." Tom said thoughtfully.

"And there were cracks on her Fire Shackles." Rukia said.

"Cracks?" Zena gasped, wide eyed. "But…that's impossible…" Zena turned her back to the group, deep in thought.

"?" Toshiro noticed that on Zena's back, although very faint due to the hoodie she wore, there was a faint glowing from her shoulder blades. "Zena, you're back's glowing."

"What?" Zena looked over her shoulder as best she could. Faintly, she could just about make out the glowing. "I see…" Zena looked back at the explosions. "So that's how it is."

"What is it? What's going on?" Ichigo asked, getting impatient. "Why is your back glowing?"

"Because Ren has accomplished something that I have not."

"!" The group exchanged a few glances at one another, not sure what to make of this. They turned back to Zena, pressing her silently to explain.

"…" Zena closed her eyes for a moment, scarcely able to believe what was happening. It was something that even she, the princess of Cielvia, was unable to do, and yet a human has done it is a span of a few weeks. Zena opened her eyes and turned back to the group. "As you know, Ren has control over three Shackles. These are an extremely powerful ability that only forty per cent of Cielvians possess, and that's just a rough estimate. Just possessing one Shackle is enough to make you a formidable opponent. I, and Ren, possess almost all of the Shackles. But, they don't just come through training and focused study. They are activated using something called a Trigger. It can range from a state of mind to an emotion. When that state of mind or that emotion is at its strongest, the Shackle associated with it comes through. It's different with each Cielvian, however. For example, let's say somebody had the Water Shackles. Their Trigger was despair. However, for another Cielvian with the same Shackles, their Trigger was the desire for happiness. Each Trigger for each Shackle is very different for each individual."

"So, what was the Trigger for the Fire Shackles?" Toshiro asked. Zena hesitated before answering. It brought some unpleasant memories for her when she first activated her Fire Shackles.

"Rage." Zena answered.

"!" Everyone looked alarmed after hearing that. Steph and Tom especially understood how that could be a reason why Ren was scary when she was angry, and it gave them an even bigger reason to not provoke her than before. But, none of them said anything, waiting for Zena to continue.

"Once the Trigger has been activated, the user can bring out the Shackles at will. Again, it differs for each Shackle and each individual. It can be something emotional or mental, like the desire to protect someone. Or, it could be something physical, like clapping your hands or snapping your fingers."

"!" Toshiro's eyes widened a little at this. Ren did physical actions to activate her Shackles, too! Clicking her heels for Fire, crossing her arms for Wind and clapping her hands for Lightning.

"In time, the individual will become more and more proficient in using their Shackles, until they have reached their strongest point. You see, the Shackles actually hold back the person's potential until they are properly trained to use the full potential, hence the name Shackles. It could be weeks or even years until the Shackles are ready, and the individual has no idea when that time is."

"What happens when the time does come?" Rukia asked.

"Well, certain conditions have to be met. The individual has to go back to the beginning when they want to reach their potential. In other words, they have to pull the Trigger again. Then, and only then, can their Shackles reach their full strength."

"So, what you're saying is that Ren's Fire Shackles had rage as their Trigger." Renji said, summarising what Zena said. "And now that they're at their strongest and she's angry, they're…"

"They're about to break." Zena finished. "If the Trigger is an emotion, then it takes time. They have to be in that emotion for a long time, and the cracks will appear on the Shackles gradually. The stronger the emotion, the faster and numerous the cracks are. And from what I've seen right now, I'd say Ren's rage has hit its peak."

"So what does that mean?" Tom asked.

"It means that Ren's Fire Shackles have finally broken. Now, she can use that element with no restraints and no need for a Trigger. We call these states of elemental mastery as Shattered. It is an extremely difficult state to reach. I'd say it would be the equivalent of your Bankai."

_How much has he told this girl?_ Ichigo thought, sweat dropping.

"So Ren will be even stronger? Wow." Rangiku said, amazed.

"However, there is a downside to this."

"What do you mean?" Rangiku asked.

"Sometimes, emotions can be very unpredictable. And coupling that with the Shackles becoming Shattered can be disastrous. If the emotion is strong enough, then they may stay in that state of Shattered Shackles until their body essentially breaks down."

"What? Is Ren in danger?" Toshiro asked almost frantically.

"Well, it's less about Ren being in danger and more about the city and her opponent. Rage is a very difficult emotion. Right now, after seeing her friends get hurt, her rage is at its highest. It is so strong, I'm sure her blood would be boiling right now. Ren is thinking of nothing but to annihilate the one who is causing these emotions. And even if she does accomplish this, her rage would not subside, and she could very well end up destroying the city. I've seen it happen before when Cielvians let their emotions get the better of them. When it's against an opponent who incurred their wrath…When it's in an urban area like this…" Zena closed her eyes for a few seconds, before opening them and turning to the group, a grave look in her eyes and face. "There will be nothing left."

"Then what are we waiting for?!" Toshiro staggered onto his feet, keeping one hand on his stomach.

"Toshiro, don't!" Steph protested.

"I don't have time to worry about myself. Ren is fighting for our sake! For my sake! I'm not going to stand here and let her anger take over!"

"Captain…" Rangiku said quietly.

"Ren got angry because of me! I have to show her that I'm okay! I'm going over there right now to try and bring her out of it! And you are not going to stop me! That's an order!" Toshiro ran off in the direction of the explosions, and he was so caught up in his own goals, he didn't even notice how nobody was trying to stop him. Rangiku was especially quiet. She had never heard her captain speak with that much conviction before. In fact, she had never known her captain to be that close to anyone except Hinamori.

_Captain…_ Rangiku thought.

"_That can't be her! Ren would never do that!"_

_Just how close are you to Ren? You've never been this close to anyone. You always shielded your heart with a wall of ice. But now…that ice is melting._ Rangiku smiled. _It's because of her, isn't it? She's making you warm up. You're right. I won't let her be overcome. She's too much of a good friend for that._

"Wait, Captain! I'm coming with you!" Rangiku Flash Stepped out of the town square.

"Rangiku, wait! Damn, she beat me to the punch!" Renji also Flash Stepped after Toshiro.

"Renji, you're not going anywhere without me." Rukia Flash Stepped away from the remaining group, ignoring how puzzled Steph and Tom looked.

"Hey, wait for me!" Ichigo was the last one to Flash Step away from the square, and Steph and Tom were left alone with Zena.

"Well, guess we'll have to go on foot."

"Yup, seems like it." Tom agreed.

"Wait, you're following them?" Zena said, confused. "Aren't you afraid of getting caught in the crossfire?"

"Yeah, but we have to go." Steph said.

"But…why?"

"Because she's our friend." Tom said simply. "Isn't that reason enough?"

"Alright. I won't stop you. But be careful. We still don't know just how dangerous this can be." Tom and Steph then ran off through the hole in the buildings, Zena vanishing from the spot. Everyone was heading towards the explosions. Towards their friend.

…

"Stay back!" Epona threw some daggers in Ren's direction, but as soon as they even got close to her, they melted and vanished into nothing. It had been like this for a while. Epona tried to attack her, but Ren would just shrug them off as if they were nothing. Now, all she could do was run and try to block her attacks, but that wasn't having much luck either. Plus, there was the fact that almost every time Ren attacked there was a destroyed building, so she had the rubble to worry about, too.

"What the hell is going on?" Epona skidded to a stop and glared up at Ren, who was flying through the sky and throwing fireball after fireball in her direction. Epona brought out her black wings and flew up into the air, just avoiding the explosion of fire. "Alright, fine!" Epona yelled at Ren, losing her temper. "You want to play with fire?! Have it your way!" Epona's black smoke turned into black fire surrounding her right hand. Ren did the same only with her bright flames. With yells of determination and rage, the girls charged towards each other, ready to strike a blow on their opponent.

"Ren is…" Toshiro stopped running and looked left and right down different streets. He felt his back get warm when he looked down the left, and the smoke rising up into the already dark sky confirmed it. "This way!" Toshiro ran down the street. His stomach was starting to heal by itself, and it was more of an ache than a stab wound, so that made things a little easier. He stopped when he saw two figures charging towards each other in the sky. "There!" In that instant, the firsts of fire met in a solid blow, sending out a powerful shockwave through the area, crumbling a few buildings along the way. Toshiro clung onto a nearby lamppost, and as soon as the other Soul Reapers arrived, they also had to find something to hang onto for fear of getting blown away. The force of the shockwave was so powerful, it felt as though their insides were being shifted around.

"Captain, there you are!" Rangiku called out as soon as the shockwave subsided.

"Rangiku?" Toshiro looked over his shoulder. "I told you not to stop me!"

"We're not here to stop you! We're here to help you in any way we can!"

"So, what do we do?" Ichigo asked. Toshiro looked back up at the fight, watching as Epona and Ren traded blow after blow with such strength and force, another shockwave would ring through every now and again, so the group were forced to keep clinging to lampposts or buildings or whatever else they could hold onto that wouldn't whisk them off their feet. It was as Zena said. Ren was angry. Very angry. In fact, Toshiro had never seen Ren this angry before. It reminded him of that conversation he had with Steph all those weeks ago. Ren really was scary when she was angry.

_Eh?_ Toshiro noticed how his hand, while clinging to the lamppost, was shaking. Was he afraid of Ren? Toshiro clenched it into a fist to hide the shaking and carried on staring up at the fight.

"Toshiro?" Ichigo said, noticing how he wasn't saying anything.

"Stay here and observe the situation." Toshiro eventually said. "And it's Captain Hitsugaya." He added as an afterthought.

_That girl…_ Toshiro thought, focusing on the flaming girl flying through the sky, her face full of rage. _I can't believe that's Ren. She's never been this…violent._ Toshiro remembered all the times he saw Ren, whether she was grinning, pulling a funny face, doing a victory dance from winning another video game or just being her usual weird self. _Is this really Ren?_

"So…that's Ren?" Renji pointed up at Ren.

"Looks like it." Rukia nodded, swallowing nervously. She was also finding herself intimidated by this Ren. And with justified reasons. If the damage Epona had taken was anything to go by, then Rukia wanted to stay on the side lines of this fight.

"Whoa! Is that Ren?!"

"Huh?" Everyone turned around to look. The two humans were staring up at the fight, looking more amazed than scared, like they were watching a concert or a fireworks show rather than a fight to the death.

"Yeah, it is! Wow, look at them go!" Steph exclaimed, shielding her eyes to get a better look at the fight. "Dragon Ball Z be damned!"

"Grab onto something!" Renji yelled, shoving the two of them against a wall with one arm. Steph and Tom quickly clung onto two nearby parking poles, just as another shockwave rang through the city.

"Wow, that was strong." Steph said, brushing her now untamed hair with her fingers. Seeing this, Rangiku also tried to salvage her hair, muttering about split ends.

"We can't get too close; we'll be blown away!" Ichigo yelled over another shockwave.

"And if we do nothing, this city will be destroyed!" Renji looked at Toshiro. "Captain Hitsugaya, what's your plan?"

"…" Toshiro couldn't take his eyes off of Ren, who was gradually gaining the upper hand over Epona, despite her many shadow and dark fire attacks. "I don't know." He said helplessly.

With another shockwave, a body started to fall to the ground, and it skidded through the pavement and crashed into a building, leaving a path of debris in their wake. Toshiro cautiously let go of his streetlamp and walked a few steps forward, trying to determine who it was in that smoke. It cleared away enough to show Epona, who had slammed into the building with such force, she couldn't even move. Toshiro sighed, relieved that it wasn't Ren.

_I lost?_ Epona thought, shocked. She looked at her right wrist, and saw that her Shackles had vanished. She had reached her limit. _But…that can't be…_ Epona heard another crash sound, and everyone in that area turned to look at the source. Ren had landed on the ground with one hand to support herself, and she was still looking as angry as ever.

_No…Is she seriously going to attack again? When I'm like this?_ Epona felt her teeth start to chatter. With a yell of rage, Ren pushed off the ground and charged towards Epona, ready to strike the killing blow.

_I'm going to die!_ Epona closed her eyes, preparing herself for the worst.

"Ren!"

"!" Ren looked in the direction of the voice. It was Toshiro. He was okay. He still had some blood on him, but he was okay. But, he looked strange. Worried? No. He seemed to be…scared. When Ren went past Toshiro, he could have sworn he saw her angry face soften upon seeing him. For a moment, he didn't think that calling out to her out of instinct worked. When Ren got to Epona, the sounds of roaring flames suddenly stopped. Everything had gone quiet. There was no explosion. No inferno. Nothing. Ren had just stopped in front of Epona, her fist stopping short of her face.

"She…She stopped." Tom and Steph had joined Toshiro by his side, watching the events taking place.

"…" Epona stared at the fiery fist, fear in her face. Ren didn't look angry anymore, and the fire on her body seemed to have calmed down. It was less ferocious than before. Had she calmed down? If so, then why? Ren grabbed Epona by the collar around her neck, pulled her out of the person-shaped crater in the wall and placed her back on her feet. Epona staggered a little before regaining her bearings, and stared at Ren, confused. Ren jumped back and walked backwards a few more steps, her fists unclenching. Then the fire started to peel away from her body, drifting off into the wind. Eventually, all signs of fire were gone from Ren's body. All that was left over was a human girl with a few grazes and cuts here and there, although her eyes were still orange, but with a blink, they too were back to normal, and Ren was left standing there, a sad expression on her face.

"Is it over?" Rukia asked, noticing how everything had gone calm. Nobody said anything in response, waiting to see who would say or do something first.

"This is pointless." Ren said quietly. "Beating you to a pulp won't solve anything. It won't change the fact that you've hurt me and you've hurt people I care about." Ren's hands clenched up again, but not out of anger. "I never should have let my emotions get the better of me." Ren turned to face her friends. "And, guys. You shouldn't have seen me like that. Nobody should." Ren bowed her head. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Ren. It's normal to get angry when your friends are threatened." Steph said, trying to make her feel better, but judging by the look on Ren's face, Steph knew it wasn't working.

"Wait…Ren…Is that why you cast that sleep spell on me?" Toshiro asked. "You didn't want me to see you angry…is that it?" Ren didn't say anything. She just nodded sadly, turning away and holding her arms afterwards. Now, that apology before casting the spell made sense to Toshiro. "That's ridiculous!"

"Eh?" Ren looked up again, alarmed.

"How can you apologise for defending your friends? Isn't that what you're supposed to do? If I was in your shoes, I would have frozen Epona ten times over! There's nothing wrong with getting angry for your friends! You don't have anything to be sorry for!"

"Shiro…"

"Didn't you get a word of what I said to you back in the park?! I've seen your bad traits! And I don't care! I've never cared about that!" Toshiro quietened down a little. "Like I said before, friends are meant to look past each other's bad qualities. You could turn a person black and blue in the face and it still wouldn't change the way I feel about you." Toshiro started to walk towards Ren. "You're random and eccentric. I'm stubborn and can't put a lid on my own temper. And it's nothing to be ashamed of. It's what makes us who we are."

"But…just now, you looked so scared. You were scared of me." Toshiro was now in front of Ren.

"Not scared. Surprised. In fact, I'm genuinely touched that you would go that far. You held nothing back in that fight. You weren't fighting for yourself; you were fighting for your friends. For me. And I couldn't be happier to have you as a partner in this fight against White Raven. No…" Toshiro shook his head. "I'm wrong there. You're more than my partner. You're my friend. Maybe even…my best friend."

"…" Ren's eyes widened a little at that statement. Nobody had ever directly told her that before. And hearing it from Toshiro, of all people, really meant a lot to her. Ren felt her mouth curve up into a small smile.

"Now, let's not hear any more of this 'woe is me' nonsense about anger." Toshiro said firmly but playfully. "Alright?"

"Nn." Ren said, smiling her usual smile, which made Toshiro smile in return. "But, are you really alright? I mean, you were stabbed."

"This is nothing. It's almost healed anyway, thanks to Kuchiki and my Cielvian abilities."

"Oh, yeah. I was worried about that injury, 'cos that can kill a normal human."

"But I'm not a normal human, you know that."

"I know, but while you're in that body, you are exactly that. It's a handicap when it comes to battles. And that's reason number two for using that spell on you."

"Eh?"

"I know you, Shiro. I knew that you would refuse to sit on the side lines, stab wound or not. So to save your injury getting worse, I used that spell."

"That's why?" Toshiro said, astonished.

"Well, it's not the main reason, but it was more a benefit than a reason."

"…" Toshiro just stared at Ren, an utterly confused look on his face. It seemed that no matter how long he stays with Ren, he will never really understand her, especially when it came to her train of thought.

"If I may interrupt…"

"?" Toshiro turned to Epona, who they had admittedly briefly forgotten about in that moment.

"I believe we were in the middle of something." Epona made her Shackles appear again, although this time, it took some effort, and just doing so made her want to vomit. She had to make it quick.

"No, we're not." Ren said simply.

"What?"

"No, we're not." Ren said again. "I'm not fighting you. I just want us to talk about this. Besides, the way you are now, you won't be able to do any lethal damage to me anyway."

"Don't you dare speak to me like that!" Epona charged towards Ren, her dagger raised. There was a splatter of blood when Epona reached Ren, and she gave a triumphant smile when she was certain that her blade had met flesh. But, that smile soon faded. She hadn't hit anything vital. The dagger had gone straight through Ren's right palm, and Ren was clenching her teeth to prevent herself from crying out.

"Now…" Ren said, her voice strained from the pain. She raised her head and looked at Epona, a confident smile on her face. "Let's have a nice, civilised conversation, shall we?"

"…" Stunned, Epona slowly let go of her dagger and stepped back away from Ren. Toshiro was just as surprised at Ren's actions. He had never seen anyone do anything that reckless before. Well, Ren always had a reckless streak, but this was on a whole new level.

"Ren, doesn't that hurt?" Toshiro asked, noticing how Ren hadn't even pulled the dagger out yet.

"Nah, I don't feel a thing!" Ren said brightly yet with a hint of sarcasm. "Of course it freakin' hurts! You've been stabbed, too, so you tell me if it's painful!" Ren grasped the hilt of the dagger, and pulled it out of her hand, dropping it with a clatter. "Oh, god, it hurts even more pulling it out!" Ren exclaimed, clutching her hand.

"Don't push yourself." Toshiro had a hand on her shoulder, concerned. "Do you need help?"

"Nah, nah." Ren waved her other hand airily. Ren straightened up with a small groan. "Not one of my smartest ideas." Toshiro noticed how the wound was already showing signs of healing, which could only mean her regeneration was kicking in. It was a lot slower, but as long as it did its job, Toshiro didn't mind.

"You're a fool." Epona said bluntly.

"Yeah. I didn't exactly think that through." Ren agreed. She clenched her injured hand, trying to prevent too much blood from dripping to the ground. Etheline, who had been watching the whole time, made her smile even wider.

"That girl certainly is interesting. Not exactly smart, but she has guts." Epona glanced up at Etheline who waved in a flirting manner.

_So she's here, too._ Epona thought.

"Epona…" Ren started, bringing Epona's attention back to her and not noticing what she was looking at. "I want to know. Why are you spreading darkness over the world?"

"I think you know why." Epona answered, her face becoming calm and reverting to its natural sad expression.

"Yeah. I do. And I don't think it's the real reason."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because it's a stupid reason." Ren said without hesitation. "You're doing it because your life was hard? So what about it? Life is always hard. If it wasn't then it would be boring."

"That's what you think. You see everything through rose coloured glasses. I see everything for what it really is. You are so optimistic, it's beyond naivety. And it is that naivety that I snuff out. You should be thanking me for helping the world see things for what they truly are."

"Oh, my god, you are so cynical!" Ren exclaimed loudly. "It's totally pissing me off!"

"Ren, you don't want to provoke her." Ichigo said rather nervously, not sure if Ren was doing it on purpose or not.

"I ain't." Ren briefly reassured Ichigo, never taking her eyes away from Epona. "I see bad sides of the world just as much as you do. Just because I don't think about them doesn't mean I don't acknowledge them as really happening."

"If you saw the world the way I do, then we wouldn't be having this conversation, which, I'll have you know, is ridiculous."

"No! What's ridiculous is you!" Ren pointed at Epona to emphasise her statement. "What's ridiculous is this thing you call 'help', 'cos it doesn't look like helping to me!" Ren lowered her arm, her eyes narrowing a little. "You treated those poor people like toys. You play with them for days and days on end, just like you did with me, until you get bored and forget about them. If not, then you break them beyond repair and toss them aside as if they were never there. I wouldn't be surprised if you had never seen your victims again. If you did, then you would see just how much damage you have done. You're not helping people. You're making things worse! You can't play with human beings like they're toys, Rosalie!"

"…" Everyone was speechless after what Ren just said, even Ren herself.

"?" Etheline raised a slim eyebrow. "I'm sensing something in her…"

"Where the hell did that come from?" Ren muttered. "And who's Rosalie? Uuuu…" Ren rubbed her head. "This is making my head hurt.

"…" Tom and Steph looked at each other sadly, recognising that name. Toshiro noticed this, and stared suspiciously at them without either of the humans noticing.

"Well, regardless of what you say, it will not change my mind." Epona said, deciding to ignore what Ren just said and dismissing it as a slip of the tongue. "It is for the good of the world that I am doing this. It is all to create a utopia."

"You say utopia, but I say dystopia. It means a crappy world, because I'm guessing that you don't know the meaning of that word!" Ren also decided to shrug off what she said. In fact, she couldn't even remember what she said anymore.

"What do you know? Once my mission is complete, I will have reached perfection. Everything started with darkness, so it should end with darkness. My whole life was dark, so I see no reason to believe why nobody else should see the darkness."

"I know your life was hard. I know you've lost a lot of things." Ren said calmly, trying to reason with her.

"And is that why you're judging me for my actions? If my parents could see how I have perfected this world…"

"They would be afraid and disgusted." Ren interrupted.

"They would be alive!" Epona yelled.

"Well I for one am glad they're dead! That way, they won't see how you have screwed up royally! Whatever happened to them doesn't justify what you're doing!"

"Don't you talk about my family like that!" Epona sent her shadow towards Ren, morphing into a spear like shape and stabbing Ren in her left shoulder, vanishing almost immediately afterwards. Ren cried out in pain and staggered back, clutching her shoulder.

"Ren!" Toshiro yelled.

"Yeah, I think I crossed a line there. Sorry." Ren said sheepishly while trying to look like she wasn't in any pain, which wasn't easy, since she immediately gave a flinch and stared down at the ground.

"You don't deserve to be defender of this world if you cannot see it in its true form!" Epona had lost her cool significantly. "I am its true protector!"

"That's what this is? Protection?! "Renji exclaimed angrily.

"SHUT UP!" Epona shouted, sending an arch of shadow fire in their direction. Everyone ducked just in time, and the fire hit the building almost directly behind them, showering them with small bits of debris and dust.

"Are you alright?" Toshiro asked. Ichigo looked up and gave Toshiro a small wave, letting him know that no-one was injured.

"I am protecting this world from itself! Ren is just keeping them in ignorant bliss! She doesn't even want to fight! She was running from me at the start! Running! Pure cowardice on her part! The Elemental Shackles are wasted on her!"

"You're wrong…"

"Eh?" Epona turned to look at Ren, who still had her head lowered and her hand on her injury.

"The Shackles aren't wasted on me." Ren looked up, anger evident on her face. It wasn't the same as before when Epona stabbed Toshiro, but it was anger nonetheless, and it was just as intimidating. "They're wasted on you." Ren took a step forward, wobbling a little and a few drops of blood dripping to the ground. "You had a hard life." Another step. "You were always miserable." Another step. "Not once did you have a chance to smile." Ren walked another step forward, and each step became much more stable and confident than the last as she carried on slowly walking towards Epona. "You think that's an excuse to bring out everybody's darker sides?!"

"You don't know anything about me. You have no right to talk down to me!"

"You're right!" Ren snapped, still walking towards Epona. "I don't know. I probably never will. But how many minds have you corrupted? Too many to count, I bet. And the world doesn't look any different."

"You don't understand! Using my Shackles like this is the only way I can be happy!"

"And are you?"

"…" Epona opened her mouth to answer, but nothing came out. She thought about it. She had been bringing the darker sides of humans to the surface for as long as she can remember, thinking it would make her happy. But, as soon as Ren had said those three words, she wasn't so sure. For the first time, she doubted herself. She doubted her mission. Ren had got her.

"I thought so. You have wasted half your life on a dark, pointless pursuit. What good does bringing out the darkness in others do?! What does that accomplish?! I'll tell you; nothing. You just unleash more and more misery on your victims, on their friends, on their families, and on yourself. I'm telling you now, Epona. Your goal of happiness is pointless!" Now, Ren was inches away from Epona, and Epona stood back a step when Ren leaned forward and almost glared at her. "If you continue on this path, you'll only make yourself more miserable than you already are!"

"…" Epona's eyes widened. For once, she agreed with her enemy. She really wasn't making herself happy. But, there was some part of her that refused to accept that as reality.

"It's over, Epona." Ren said calmly, the anger vanishing from her face. "You'll never win. Not the way you are now." Ren stepped back a few paces, and Epona did nothing; all that happened was that her Shackles vanished, but Epona was so preoccupied with her thoughts, she didn't even notice. "If you have anything to say to me, then say it now. I know you're holding something back."

"Don't…" Epona muttered, clenching her fists. "Don't look down on me!" She yelled, pushing Ren away from her. Ren staggered back, a stunned expression on her face. "You think you get me?! You think you understand why I'm doing this?! WELL YOU DON'T!" The ground around Epona's feet suddenly cracked.

"Whoa!" Ren stepped away from the cracks, and Toshiro was immediately by her side, knowing that Epona' telekinesis was acting on its own like it did with him. And since this was a person who had more experience with telekinesis, he could only the end results wouldn't be pretty.

"You cannot possibly understand the suffering I have endured! The pain I have experienced! It cannot all be for nought! My life cannot have been for nothing! How could you say that I have wasted it?! Everything came perfectly for you! All the good things in life came to you! I was left with nothing! You cannot possibly understand that pain, when all you saw was the light, and all I have seen is the darkness! Nobody else has seen the darkness! If they saw how much darkness there truly is in the world, they would all be just like me! I would finally be able to live a happy life! If I cannot see the light, then no-one will!" Epona was out of breath after her sudden outburst of rage, leaving the others present speechless. Even Etheline was at a loss for words. Ren stared at Epona, surprised. But, with one blink, her expression became a little more serious. If not, it seemed to be more an expression of understanding.

"I get it now." Ren said quietly. All of a sudden, everything seemed to go quiet. No birds sang. No wind blew. No trees rustled. That's what made Ren's words ring out through the air even more.

"You're jealous…"

Right after Ren said this, Epona's eyes went wide, and they seemed to lose all life and light in them after those words. "Yeah…That has to be it…This whole thing started because you were miserable. Everywhere you went, people were happy. Everyone was happy. Everyone except you. So, you sought to erase that happiness by making them as cynical as you.

"…" The Soul Reapers and the humans looked at one another. They hadn't thought of it that way. Ren was a lot more perceptive than she let on.

"You saw people experiencing the happiness you were denied." Ren raised a hand up and pointed at Epona. "And you envied that…didn't you?"

"…" Epona said nothing, shocked. Again Ren has managed to understand her in a way she never thought possible. It was because of her that Epona had begun questioning her motives and actions. And this…This was the last straw. She had reached her limit. She threw back her head and screamed. She screamed from both rage and sadness. Toshiro moved Ren behind him, bracing himself for what might come when Epona materialised her wings, and with one strong flap, she took off into the sky.

"Epona!" Ren ran to the spot where Epona previously stood. "Wait! Come back!" No response. Ren looked around the skies, and saw no signs that she had been there. All that she saw were four black feathers falling from the sky and landed softly on the ground. Ren picked up each one, running her fingers up and down the soft fibres. Ren turned around to look at the group, who had already re-joined Toshiro by his side.

"Where did she go?" Ren said, even though she knew full well that nobody but Epona could possibly answer that.

"I think I saw her fly off in that direction." Rukia pointed to her left.

"…" Ren looked off in that direction. She knew that Epona was in the darkness, longer than anybody she had ever corrupted. And Ren was not going to let her fall even deeper in the darkness.

…

Epona stood on the edge of a tall building, staring down at the ground that was miles away. But, she did not feel dizzy. She had been flying for years. She saw no reason why she should feel dizzy. The wind blew through her hair and her torn clothes, calming her face that was still rather red from anger. Epona closed her eyes and leaned her back against the chain-link fence behind her, the cool wind calming her down.

_It's over…_ Epona thought. _After all my work…After all these years…It really was for nothing. I haven't achieved anything. Ren was right about me. About everything._ Epona opened her eyes.

"I was jealous of the happiness around me." Epona said, a sad smile on her face. "I thought making people see the darkness I see would make me happy. But, it's like Ren said. It only made me even more miserable."

"There she is!"

"!" Epona recognised that voice and peered down the edge. Ren, Toshiro, the Soul Reapers and her human friends had arrived. But, they didn't look angry with her. They were concerned. Concerned for the likes of her. Why?

_Why are you here? _Epona thought. She looked away from the friends and resumed leaning on the fence. _I'm not worth your worry. I'm your enemy. I have hurt you in so many ways. I don't deserve it. I have done so many despicable things. All for nothing._ Epona looked down at her feet sadly. _I give up. I am the worst kind of person. I will never be happy. I tried…And I tried…And I failed. There's nothing left for me. _Epona turned around, her back to the edge of the building. _There's nothing left for me to live for anymore. All that's left…_ Epona started to lean back. _Is the ultimate darkness of death._ Epona's feet left the edge of the building, and she started to fall. But, her face was calm. She didn't yell or scream. She wanted this. She just wanted to fall and end her miserable life once and for all.

"!" Everyone gasped in shock and horror when they saw Epona's body start to fall.

"Somebody do something!" Steph shouted, desperate to not see somebody die, even if it was an enemy. The Soul Reapers started to make a move, but Ren was already one step ahead of them. Ren ran straight for the building Epona was falling off. She crossed her arms in front of her, and after a few seconds of hesitation, Ren's Wind Shackles appeared.

_I can't keep them out for long. Please, please, please work._ Ren thought, jumping up into the air.

_I wonder…_Epona thought as she fell. She reached a hand up to the sky. _Is there really…no darkness…up there? Well, it doesn't matter. I know I am too wicked to end up there. But…_ Epona closed her eyes, ready to accept death, and not noticing the beads of tears falling from her eyes.

_It sounds nice…_

"Epona!"

"Huh?" Epona's eyes opened wide at the sound of her name. She recognised that voice. It was Ren. Epona felt arms grab her around her waist and back. It was indeed Ren. She saw silver smoke sparkling around her wrists. Wind Shackles.

_What?_ Epona thought, shocked. _What's she doing?_ Releasing one arm, Ren used it to create a small vortex of air around them that slowed their fall considerably, and eventually, they were simply floating towards the ground. But, the Shackles quickly disappeared.

"Uh oh." Ren said, and the girls started to fall again, but thanks to the wind Ren created, they didn't fall for long, and Ren landed on the ground with a thud. She let go of Epona and the two girls were both lying on the ground. It seemed that, against all odds, the two of them will live.

_I'm…I'm alive?_ Epona looked at her hand, sitting up. She looked over to Ren, who was right next to her and rubbing her left shoulder, having already sat up.

"Uuuu, that smarts." Ren groaned. "It's still not healed. And I think my nose might be red…Nah, it's good."

"Why?" Epona asked, clenching her teeth. "Why did you save me? I have nothing left to live for! Why won't you let me die?!" Epona demanded angrily. Ren looked at her, a grave expression on her face. Without a word, Ren slapped Epona across her face with the back of her hand, much to the surprise of everyone present, including Etheline, whose eyes widened a little. She was just as surprised as everyone else when Ren saved Epona. Etheline herself was perfectly willing to let her fall to her death. It was Epona's will, after all. But, this human girl was getting more and more puzzling.

"Just because life gave you a tough deal doesn't mean you can bail out like that!" Ren yelled. Epona stared up at Ren, her hand on the red mark on her face. "You're young! You still have a future! You can turn things around if you make an effort! But then you go and willingly throw all that away?! That's bullcrap! To end it all by offing yourself is something that I cannot forgive! Life is meant to be hard! Deal with it! If somebody would rather kill themselves than face their problems…" Ren looked away bitterly. "Then they're nothing more than a coward."

"But…how?"

"Hm?" Ren turned back to Epona, who had already lowered her hand.

"How can you say that? How can you stay alive when the world is full of darkness?" Epona dared to ask, feeling afraid of getting another slap for some reason. But, Ren smiled a gentle smile at her.

"Epona…have you heard the story of Pandora's Box? It's an ancient Greek myth about a woman named Pandora, the first woman created by order of Zeus. One day, Zeus gave her a box, and was told to never open it. But curiosity got the better of her, and when she opened it, all of the darkness and evil inside was released into the world. Pandora shut the box, trying to stop it but the damage had been done. Terrified, she told Zeus what she had done, but he wasn't angry, since he knew this would happen. That was when Pandora realised there was one more thing in that box. Hope. You see? Even in the darkest of days, there will always be a tiny sliver of light that will help and guide us. I can see that light, but you spent your days focusing on the darkness released from that box. Maybe it's about time you stopped looking at the bad and focused on the good."

"I still don't understand." Epona shook her head in confusion. "Your life has been just as hard as mine. What do you do in a world that constantly tries to break you?" Ren placed a hand on Epona's shoulder.

"You live." She said firmly. "You live on, and you struggle. The world is cruel, merciless, and black and there are lots of things better off gone. But, it is also beautiful, it can show kindness, and it inspires everyone to live on. And that alone makes it worth fighting for, even if it is full of evil." Ren chuckled a little. "It's like yin and yang, I guess. You can't have one without the other. Sure, your body may be battered, your mind may be punished, and maybe your heart will be broken. But that sliver of hope is still alive in that box. It's what helps us live through it all. Just by living, you are able to stand up, brush off your wounds, hold you head up high and say to the world 'Is that the best you've got?' Now that's really living."

"…" Epona said nothing, gradually starting to understand where Ren was coming from.

"And, if you ask me, I think the light of hope is inside you, too."

"What?" Epona gasped, surprised. Hope? Inside her?

"Yup." Ren nodded. "Both then and now. You saw nothing but darkness, and tried to extinguish the light. I may have seen it as evil before, but you did it for your own reasons. You tried to change the world, because you still held onto the hope that you could live in this world. And you know what? You still can. Use those Shackles not to extinguish the light of hope, but to protect it. You may think your power is evil, but I don't. Your darkness can protect the light. But only if you let it. So…what do you say?" Ren reached a hand out to Epona, who merely stared at it. "Do you want to live in this world? Do you want to protect the light?"

"…" Epona stared down at the ground, feeling moved by Ren's words. "Yes…" She said quietly. Ren leaned forward a little, not quite hearing what she just said. "Yes." Epona said again, her body starting to shake. "Yes!" Epona clasped Ren's outstretched, bloody hand. "I want to live!" Epona cried, looking up to show the streams of tears falling from her eyes. "Let me protect the light!"

"You're already on your way." Ren said, smiling her smile at Epona. Seeing that smile, all the despair in Epona seemed to wash away. Even her tears suddenly dried. Before, she despised that smile. But now, it was the most wonderful thing she had ever seen. Seeing, it, she automatically smiled back. But it wasn't a sad smile. Or even a sarcastic smile. It was a real one. She was…happy. She was happy. What a strange word. But, she liked it.

"Ren Conner…thank you." Epona said. She felt her back grow warm, and her black wings burst out behind her.

"Whoa, what gives?!" Ren exclaimed, crawling back from Epona. Epona looked behind her, confused as to why her wings were out. And that confusion grew when she saw that the feathers were starting to change. Feather by feather, they were changing from black to pure white.

"What's going on?" Toshiro asked.

_Her wings are changing._ Toshiro heard a voice in his head. Zena

_Zena?_ Toshiro thought. _Are you in my head?_

_Yes. I'm talking to you mentally. Anyway, I noticed how Epona's wings were black instead of white, like all Cielvian wings are. When a Cielvian falls into despair and sadness, their wings turn black. When they are cured of that despair, then and only then do their wings return to normal. Normally, when a Cielvians wings turn black, they're beyond help. But, Ren's surprised me again._

_Yeah._ Toshiro thought, giving a small smile. _She really is an enigma._

"Huh." Ren said. "That happened." Ren pulled out of her pocket the four feathers she picked up earlier, looking as pristine as ever. And yet, they were still black. Ren concluded that they weren't part of Epona's body when the wings changed, so that's why the feathers didn't.

"My wings…" Epona said quietly. She had heard of the black Cielvian wings before, but she never thought she would be cured of the darkness. Even then, she didn't seem to mind them being black, anyway. But now that she was free from the darkness, and she was how beautiful her wings were now that they were white, she felt even happier than before. Epona saw Ren holding some black feathers in her hand as she looked back and forth between Epona and the Feathers. "Those are…"

"Yeah. They fell off when you flew away." Without saying anything, Epona took one feather out of Ren's hand. "Epona?"

"To remind me. No matter how much darkness there is…there will always be light." Epona placed the Feather in her skirt pocket.

"Well, I'm glad things worked out in the end." Ren picked herself up, brushing off some dust. "Oh, goodie! My shoulder's healed. Well…a little."

"Wait, didn't you get stabbed, too?" Steph asked.

"?" Ren looked down at her side, noticing the blood stain. "Oh, yeah." Ren poked it. Nothing. "Hm. I'm faster at healing than I thought. Guess it wasn't that deep."

"It won't be long before White Raven hears about this." Toshiro said as Ren helped Epona to her feet. "I say we pick up the purified Feather cores and get out of here before we face any more trouble."

"You heard the Cap'n, let's go." Ren said cheerfully.

"Aye, aye!" Tom and Steph saluted, making Ren giggle a little.

"They already know."

"!" Everyone looked in the direction of the voice. They finally saw Etheline standing on top of a building, finally having enough of watching. She jumped down from the edge, and her feet levitated off the ground before landing, making her heels give a small click sound when she finally touched down. Etheline tossed her black hair over her shoulder and looked at the group with a smirk.

"Etheline?" Ren said. "When did she get here?"

"She's been here all along." Epona said, speaking up. "She's my partner."

"Roar…" Renji started, drawing Zabimaru from his hilt.

"Relax, buddy boy." Etheline said dismissively. "I'm not here for you. I'm here for her." Etheline pointed at Ren, who didn't really react.

"Ren…" Tom whispered, discreetly, handing Ren his gun.

"Thanks." Ren whispered back. She walked forward a few paces, and didn't stop until she was a safe distance away from her friends. She pointed her newly acquired gun at Etheline. "What do you want with me?" Ren asked calmly.

"Nothing much." Etheline said with a shrug. "I made a promise to myself that if Epona screwed up, you were mine. And after seeing what you've done today…" Etheline's smile widened, her eyes full of lust. "I want you even more."

**TA DA! The fight between Epona and Ren has concluded! And, BOY, what a fight! I have been totally psyched to write it since forever! I think I got a tad carried away, though. Whoops! So, review, deviantART, Twitter, yada yada. Come back next time, where we see what exactly Etheline has in mind for our heroine. See you then!**


	27. SURPRISE!

**Welcome back to another chapter of Fate and Destiny! Hope the summer holidays are treating you well, 'cos they're doing pretty good for me! I'm going on holiday to Rhodes (that's in Greece, by the way), AND I have my results. That's right! I officially have a degree! And it's a pretty good one, too! Now, without further ado, here's the next chapter!**

Chapter 25

SURPRISE!

"What do you want?" Ren asked calmly.

"Nothing much." Etheline said with a shrug. "I made a promise to myself that if Epona screwed up, you were mine. And after seeing what you've done today…" Etheline's smile widened, her eyes full of lust. "I want you even more."

"Okay, lady. Creepy." Ren said flatly.

"I'll say." Toshiro muttered, remembering all too well what his first meeting with her was like. It made him shudder just thinking about it.

"I feel introductions are in order. I am the Master of Illusions…" Etheline bowed with one hand over her heart, and tilted her head up to look at Ren with a smile. "Etheline."

_Master of Illusions? _Toshiro thought. He remembered back when he faced Etheline in the park._ That explains why that tree vanished and reappeared again. She was using an illusion!_

"Nice to meet you. I'm the Who of Gives a Crap, Ren Conner." Ren said without missing a beat. "Get outta here, Etheline. I don't have time to deal with you."

"Is it that you don't have the time, or you don't have the energy?" Etheline asked.

"…" Ren raised her other hand up and made it waver a little, showing that she was either somewhere in the middle or she was a little of both.

"Well, that makes things easier, doesn't it?" Etheline outstretched her hand and a whip appeared in it. She cracked it, and the snapping sound it made rang out through the street.

"Etheline, it's over. You don't have to do this." Epona said.

"Why should I listen to someone who lost to a human?" Etheline asked. "You are clearly too weak to finish the job, and since you two have become so chummy, I don't think you'll be laying a finger on her anytime soon."

"I am not weak." Epona retorted.

"Oh? The sky says otherwise."

"…" Everyone looked up. Sure enough, the dark clouds were slowly clearing away to reveal the blue sky and rays of sunlight, and since everyone had already adjusted to the darkness, they had to shield their eyes a little.

"I believe I have made my point. Now…" Epona pointed her palm at Ren, smirking. "Come at me."

"Nah." Ren said.

"Hm?" Etheline raised a thin eyebrow.

"I'm not gonna fight. I've already used up enough energy to destroy quite a few buildings, so I gotta fix that. And, there are all the Feather cores I left behind."

"You mean these?" Etheline created a transparent sphere, revealing all the dozens of gold Feather cores floating inside it.

"Yeah, those are the ones." Ren said, not even considering where Etheline could have got them.

"Here." Etheline threw the sphere at Ren. She caught it in her palm, and it vanished, making the Feather drop into her palms.

"Great. Thanks." Ren quickly pocketed them. "Now that that's out of the way, I'll bid you good day." Ren said politely, starting to turn around.

"Hold it!" Etheline cracked her whip, but Ren deflected it away by swatting it with her gun. "I told you, didn't I? I want you."

"Not for sale, bitch!" Etheline chuckled at Ren's retort.

"My, so much attitude. So much spirit. I like it. I like my possessions to have spirit. It means I have fun breaking them." Suddenly, Etheline was right in front of Ren, their faces so close, they were almost kissing. "And I will break you with immense pleasure."

"Hey, back off!" Ren tried to punch her with the back of her fist, but she vanished, going back to where she previously stood. Ren resumed pointing her gun at Etheline. "I don't belong to anybody! And why are you so interested in me, anyway?"

"During your fight, your mental process was focused on anger. But, before your Shackles broke, I noticed a strange disturbance inside you. As the Master of Illusions, I specialise in these types of disturbances. I saw it again when you were talking to Epona. Something about not treating people like toys."

"You mean like you?" Ren snidely asked.

"I suppose so. And, I must ask, who is Rosalie?"

"Nobody I know." Ren said.

"Now, that's odd." Etheline said, feigning surprise. "Why would you say her name and not know who it belonged to?"

"You're making this up. I never said her name."

"Oh, but you did. And your denial only confirms my suspicions." Etheline narrowed her eyes, never losing her smile. "Little girl, you are under the effects of complex illusions. Illusions of the mind."

"Illusions of the mind? What are you talking about?" Ren demanded. The Soul Reapers looked at each other, not sure what this meant.

"Do you know what she means?" Toshiro asked the humans.

"Uh, no. No, no idea."

"Yeah, we don't have a clue." Tom and Steph said quickly. A little too quickly for Toshiro's liking…

"Oh, it's simple for humans, but it's complex to create with Cielvian magic. You might know it as dementia, hysteria, or even amnesia."

"Okay, I know you're making this up now."

"Am I?" Etheline said. "Are you sure? Don't you have a few…gaps?"

"…" Ren glanced away, thinking about this.

"I can tell you now that you do have illusions inside your mind. And I'm going to find out what." Etheline started to walk towards Ren, which snapped her out of her daze long enough to grasp her gun even tighter.

"Stay back! I'm not afraid to use this!" Ren warned.

"Then, by all means, use it." Etheline challenged, confident that she would be able to dodge any attacks Ren made in her current state.

"Fine! I will! But don't say I didn't warn you!" Ren pulled her trigger several times and…nothing happened. All it did was click. Etheline stopped walking, surprised. "What the hell?" Ren looked at her gun, thinking there was something wrong with it.

"Ren, what's wrong?" Ichigo asked. Ren looked over her shoulder at the group, an extremely worried look on her face.

"My gun. It's not working!"

"That can't be right." Renji pulled his own gun out of his sleeve. "Mine's working fine. See?" Renji pulled his trigger to demonstrate, but again, all it did was click. "Eh?" Seeing this, Ichigo, Steph and Toshiro got their own guns out to check.

"Hey, mine's not working either!"

"Neither's mine!"

"What's going on here?!"

"Well, I don't know what's happening, but lucky me!" Etheline cracked her whip, and Ren was too distracted to notice, and the whip wrapped itself around her right wrist, stunning her enough to drop her gun, where it disappeared in a small burst of flames that vanished as quickly as it came. "You may as well drop those toys. They're useless now." Etheline said to the group. After some hesitation, Renji, Steph and Ichigo dropped their guns, letting them vanish into flames. Toshiro was the only one who held onto his, hiding it behind his back.

_She didn't notice._ Toshiro thought. _I know it's not working for some reason, but I'm not going to let go of a weapon at the drop of a hat_. Toshiro tucked the gun behind the waistband of his trousers before Etheline could get suspicious.

"Now, I believe I was about to find out what your illusions are." Etheline raised her hand up, white sparkling swirls flowing around it. "And to uncover them."

"Nice try, Etheline. But you forget…" Ren clapped her hands, and the second her Lightning Shackles appeared, the whip disintegrated and the rest landed on the ground, cracking with electricity. "I have more than one Shackle." Ren said with confidence.

_Although right now, I don't think I can keep these out for very long_. Ren thought. _If my use of the Wind Shackles is anything to go by, I don't have long. _Ren created her lightning sword, unsheathed, in her right hand. She looked up with determination in her eyes._ I'll make this quick._

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" Etheline said enthusiastically, jumping back when Ren attacked her with her sword, then again, and again, and again, and after Etheline gave another sudden dodge, Ren made her sword emit some lightning with the next slash, knocking Etheline back significantly. Etheline pushed off on her hands, and landed almost noiselessly on one knee, smiling. Ren was already worn out from her attacks, even if they were in a short span of time, and her Shackles were already starting to dim.

"Not now…" Ren whispered. "Just a little longer." She thought Etheline would be easy to deal with, since she wasn't that strong when they first fought. But, Ren never underestimated her opponent. Even so, it was strange that Etheline was this skilled now than a few weeks ago. She dodged Ren's attacks so easily, she wasn't even making an effort. And she didn't even have a scratch on her after that lightning attack. She couldn't have become this strong so quickly. Nobody could. Unless…

_Has Etheline been holding back like I thought she was?_ Ren thought.

"It's always entertaining to see people on the verge of collapsing fight for their lives." Etheline stood up, placing a hand on her hip. "The way you are now, you can't do any damage to me. But, I admire your spirit. So…" Etheline looped some of her hair behind her ear. "I'll let you have a free strike. Come at me."

"…" Ren narrowed her eyes suspiciously. It can't be this easy. It just can't.

"Alright." Etheline took Ren's silence as a refusal. "If you won't attack…then I will." Etheline then charged straight towards Ren. With a yelp, Ren slashed at Etheline, but as soon as her blade went through Etheline, she vanished.

"What the…" Ren looked around. Etheline was gone. "Where is she?"

"!" Toshiro felt his back burn. Etheline was close. He could feel it. That's when he saw the faint pulsation floating in the air beside Ren, but she didn't notice. "Ren, look out!"

"Eh?" Ren was immediately alert, ready for any attack. That's when she noticed the pulsations surrounding her. "When did they-" Before Ren could finish her sentence, several dozen whips attacked her from almost every angle, lashing out and marking her body with whip burns and cuts, while Ren could only cry out in pain.

"Ren!" Steph cried out. After the whips stopped attacking, Ren started to collapse, but something stopped her. Ren looked up. The whips had bound her, wrapping around every limb and body part. Now, she could barely even lift a finger. Ren struggled against them, to no avail, and she could have sworn she felt the whips become tighter, making her wince. At this point, the Lightning Shackles had vanished, leaving Ren clutching her sword tightly, even though she knew she wouldn't be able to use it.

"Ren!" Toshiro started to run towards her.

"Stay back!" Ren yelled, stunning Toshiro enough to stop. Ren looked up at him, looking very panicked, if not scared. "Etheline is different from last time! I was right! She was holding back! I don't stand a chance against her right now! And neither do you! Take the others and get out of here! Now!"

"No! I'm not leaving without-"

"Correction…" Toshiro felt a hand caress his face from behind. It was Etheline. She leaned closer to Toshiro's ear. "You're not leaving here at all."

"Rrrr…" Ren glared at Etheline, and she was sent flying, and with a swift backflip in mid-air, she landed back on the ground. She looked up, and realised that Toshiro had a barrier around him. A spherical, see through barrier that occasionally shone with white stars. The others also noticed that they were protected with a similar barrier. Toshiro placed a hand on the wall. It felt like there was a breeze coming from it, but it also felt very smooth.

_A telekinetic barrier…_ Etheline thought. _So she can do that, too._

_Well, at least Shiro and the others won't have to get hurt anymore._ Ren thought, looking away.

"Hey! Let us out!" Ichigo yelled, pounding his fist against the wall of the group barrier.

"And do what?" Epona asked. "You heard Ren. You are no match for Etheline right now. You are all winded from battle. Anything you do will just be a nuisance to her, and she could very well kill you. I know Etheline, and she is the most merciless of all."

"Ren, what are you doing?! "Toshiro yelled, clearly not hearing what Epona said.

"I'm sorry, Shiro, but I'm not letting you get any more injuries today." Ren said. The light around her darkened, and upon looking up, Ren realised that Etheline was right behind her. Ren gasped, her eyes wide with fear.

"Now…" Etheline raised a hand up, the white swirls appearing again. "Let's see what's going on in that pretty little head of yours, shall we?" Etheline touched Ren's forehead with two fingers, and the white swirl seemed to enter Ren's head, and the fingers glowed white. Ren's eyes widened a little, her mouth was partially open and the sclera of her eyes turned yellow.

"NO! REN!" Toshiro shouted, his hands pressed against his barrier. Renji and Ichigo had drawn their swords at this point, and were trying to break down the barrier with them, despite the previous warning from Epona. Etheline smiled as she worked her magic, so to speak. She was right. There were some illusions inside her mind. So, she moved the clouds around to uncover what they were hiding. Eventually, she caught a glimpse of what was there. And then a little more. And then a lot more. But, upon finding what the illusions were hiding, her smile fell.

"What the…" Etheline muttered, her eyes wide. "What is this?"

"?" Everyone went quiet after hearing this. Renji and Ichigo stopped attacking the barrier. Toshiro stopped yelling Ren's name. They just listened to Etheline. Had she found something? If so, then what? Tom and Steph were especially nervous, sharing a look before looking back at Etheline and Ren.

"What is this?" Etheline said, her face gradually becoming full of horror. Ren meanwhile still had her blank expression, as if she had no idea what was happening. "These images…These memories…What are they?" Etheline removed her fingers from Ren's forehead, the glowing vanishing from her fingers, and she stepped back from Ren, horrified. The whips fell away from Ren and vanished without a trace, and Ren's arms hung limply at her side. But, the glowing yellow sclera didn't vanish, and neither did the blank expression on her face.

"No…" Ren whispered. Ren lost her grip on her sword, and it clattered noisily on the ground. Ren took a few steps backwards, a frightened look on her face. "No…Don't…" Ren's eyes shone with fear, and Toshiro could see that tears were starting to form in them. "Rosalie…please…stop this…what did I do to deserve this?"

"What's happening?" Rukia asked. "And she said that name again."

"Who is Rosalie? Do you know?" Rangiku asked the humans. But, they didn't even notice that somebody was talking to them. They were too drawn to Ren and the things she was muttering.

"Leave me alone…leave me alone…leave me alone!" After Ren suddenly yelled, everyone could hear the windows in the general area start to crack. Ren's hands went to her head as if she had suddenly been stricken with a headache. "I don't know that girl! I don't know that place! I don't know why I was there! I don't know what you're talking about! It wasn't me!" Another audible crack from the windows. "I shouldn't be here! I shouldn't be alive! I should have died! Let me out! Let me out! Let me out! Let me out! Let me out! LET ME OUT!" After Ren screamed, the windows surrounding everyone suddenly shattered, and the shards fell. Fortunately, everyone who was under a barrier saw the glass just bounce off and be flung somewhere else.

"She's losing it! We've got to do something!" Ichigo held Zangetsu up again, ready to strike the barrier again.

"Ren! Snap out of it!" Toshiro shouted, pounding on his barrier to try and get Ren's attention, but it was clearly futile, as Ren was still clutching her head and muttering things under her breath.

"Here goes…" Ichigo raised his sword up, but stopped himself. And so did Toshiro. A hooded figure appeared in front of Ren, their fingers on Ren's forehead in a similar fashion to what Etheline did earlier. Toshiro recognised the hood and the emblem in front of it.

_White Raven…_ Toshiro thought.

"Huh?" Toshiro noticed how his barrier suddenly disappeared, and so did the barrier surrounding the Soul Reapers, the humans and Epona. There was silence from everybody. It was eventually broken when Ren fell forward, and the figure caught her before she could hit the ground. She was unconscious.

"What are you doing here?" Etheline almost spat.

"You were meddling in forbidden territory." The figure said, revealing themselves as a man. "The girl's mind is not something to be trifled with so foolishly. You don't know what goes on in there. There are things inside there that are best left unturned."

"I noticed. But…what were those images?" Etheline went up to Ren. "What did you do?" Etheline demanded quietly. No answer. Etheline gritted her teeth and grabbed Ren by the front of her clothes. "What did you do?!" Etheline practically screamed, shaking Ren, and Ren's only response was her head dropping backwards and forwards with each shake.

"Let her go!" Without even thinking about his actions, Toshiro pulled out the gun he kept hidden, pointed it at the pair, and pulled the trigger. A fireball three times the size of the ones Ren normally fired shot out of it, and the figure and Etheline managed to jump out of the way just in time. The man landed on the ground, holding onto Ren by her waist and Etheline landing next to him. Toshiro was momentarily stunned by what happened. The gun was supposed to be broken. But, just then, he shot a huge fireball that not even Ren could do. What just happened?

"…" The man stared intently at Toshiro. "You want the girl? Take her." The man threw Ren to the ground without any sense of care.

"Ren!" Toshiro was immediately by her side, skidding on the ground a little as he dropped to his knees, tossing his gun aside and letting it vanish into flames. He lifted Ren's upper body off the ground gently. She was unconscious, but she seemed okay nonetheless. "Ren…" Toshiro let out a small sigh of relief.

"We are done here." The man turned around. "Let's go."

"Yes, sir." Etheline vanished from the spot. Epona stepped away from the group, and after giving them, and Ren, a few glances, she also vanished from the spot. The group was finally left alone.

"Ren!" Tom and Steph quickly ran to Toshiro's side. "Is she alright?"

"It's okay." Toshiro reassured them. "She's just unconscious. After what happened today, she must be exhausted."

"Oh, good." Steph said with a relieved smile. "But still…that man..."

"What about him?" Toshiro asked, looking her way.

"We haven't met him until now, but…I know I heard that voice before."

"You know him?"

"I don't know…I just said I recognised his voice."

"Yeah…Me, too." Tom agreed.

"It's probably nothing." Ichigo said, joining the humans by their side, followed by Rukia, Renji and Rangiku. "Lots of people's voices sound the same."

"I guess…" Steph said, but she didn't sound convinced.

"…" Toshiro said nothing, suspicious. What exactly did Ren see? Whatever it was, it must have been something awful, especially since it was buried deep inside her mind like that. But what?

"Eh?"

"?" Everyone turned to the sound of the voice. Ren was awake. She sat up out of Toshiro's arms, rubbing her head. With sleepy, half-opened eyes, Ren glanced from one side of the group to the other slowly, processing what was happening.

"What is it?" Ren asked. "Did something happen?"

"Ren, how are you feeling?" Rukia asked.

"Um…okay." Ren stood up, wobbling a bit, and Toshiro quickly stood up and held her shoulders, steadying her. "I'm a little drowsy, but fine. Hey…when did the windows break?" Ren asked, noticing the glass on the ground. "And where did Epona go?"

"She's gone." Renji answered. "She left with a member of White Raven."

"Etheline went with them after you two fought." Toshiro added.

"Huh?" Ren looked at Toshiro. "Etheline is Epona's partner?"

"I guess she is. Ren, what did Etheline mean when she was talking about these 'illusions of the mind'? And who is Rosalie?" Toshiro asked.

"Beats the hell outta me." Ren shrugged off Toshiro's hands. "And judging by what you said, I guess she's the Master of Illusions or something. Now, I'd better start fixing this-"

"Wait a minute, Ren." Toshiro interrupted. "Don't you remember anything Etheline said to you just now."

"Just now?" Ren repeated, confused.

"Yes. You fought her, she bound you, she cast some kind of spell on you, you freaked out, this guy appeared, and you fell unconscious." Rangiku said, listing them on her fingers.

"It was literally just a few minutes ago. Don't you have any idea what she meant by all that?" Ichigo asked. Ren said nothing, still confused. When she did say something, it shocked everyone there, Soul Reapers and humans alike.

"You must be mistaken. I haven't fought Etheline in days."

…

"Is Ren almost here?" Rangiku asked loudly.

"No, not yet." Tom answered, looking out of the window. Everyone, minus Ren, was at the house the Soul Reapers were staying in. But, everyone seemed to be rushing around, and each with a job to do. Even Nathan was helping out in the living room, hanging up lanyards on the walls.

"Explain to me again why we're doing this." Toshiro said, his arms folded. He was the only one not doing anything, as he thought this idea was ridiculous; one of the most ridiculous ideas Rangiku had ever come up with.

"Because Ren seemed so down about the whole Epona incident yesterday." Steph answered.

"Is this it?" Ichigo asked from behind the stereo, holding a wire in his hand.

"Yeah, that's it. You need to plug it into that socket there." Steph said.

"I still don't understand why a party would help." Toshiro continued.

"Oh, come on, Captain!" Rangiku said cheerfully. "A party always cheered me up! So why not, Ren?"

"Because unlike you, Ren doesn't feel the need to indulge herself on sake." Toshiro retorted.

"Sorry, but I'm still a little lost." Nathan said, jumping down from a sofa after hanging up the last lanyard. "What exactly happened after the fight with Epona?"

"Yeah, I don't think you filled us in." Katelyn said, peering around the doorframe of the kitchen while clutching a bowl full of Doritos. "By the way, food is ready in five."

"Ren fixed the city with that healing power of hers and we went back to the school." Tom answered, looking away from the window. "That's when she apologised…"

_Flashback_

"_I want to apologise to all of you." Ren said quietly, standing in the middle of the common room and surrounded by Steph, Tom and the Gigai-clad Soul Reapers. "The things I did as Dark Ren…they were just despicable. So…I'm sorry." Ren bowed her head as she apologised._

"_Oh, it's okay, Ren." Steph said with a smile. "You weren't-"_

"_No it's not!" Ren yelled, interrupting Steph and surprising everyone. "How can you forgive me so easily?" Ren asked, an expression that was a mix of anger and sadness on her face. "I've been horrible to all of you! I tortured Rukia, Rangiku almost got her head bitten off, I treated Tom and Steph like they were insects, I threatened you, I cut you off, I even feel bad for insulting Renji!" Ren indicated Renji as she finished._

"_You do?" Renji asked._

"_Yeah, I mean, you piss me off for some reason, but I totally respect you, dude."_

"_Uh, thanks." Renji said without thinking._

"_Ren, you…" Toshiro started, placing a hand on her shoulder._

"_And then there's you, Shiro." Ren said, shrugging off his hand and turning to face him. "Out of all the things I've done, you had the brunt of it. You were hurt in more ways than one. I was willing to decapitate you, for crying out loud! I would have done it! I remember how I felt that day all too clearly! And looking back at it now, I hate it. It disgusts me knowing that I was going to do that to you. And then there's…there's…" Ren trailed off, and Toshiro noticed how Ren was gripping her wrist. He immediately knew she was thinking about her bracelet, which was still nestled in his pocket. "I know that I can never make up for what I did, but I hope you can at least know how sorry I am."_

"…" _Nobody said anything. Or rather, they couldn't think of anything to say._

"So then Rangiku thought a surprise party would cheer her up." Tom finished, going back to looking out of the window.

"Huh." Nathan said. "Never thought Ren was the type to fuss over stuff like this."

"Right! Everything is set! Now, where's the booze cabinet?" Rangiku wondered aloud, looking around the room.

"Are you nuts?" Steph exclaimed. "Ren hates alcohol!"

"But it ain't a party without liquor." Renji smirked. "Rangiku, check the hall."

"No alcohol!" Toshiro ordered.

"Aaaaaaaawww!" Renji and Rangiku whined.

"Most of us are underage, you know." Ichigo pointed out.

"Sorry, Dad!" Nathan said sarcastically.

"You're underage, too." Tom said.

"Yeah, but if there's a responsible adult in the room, then I'm fine." Nathan said with a smile.

"I hardly think any of them are responsible." Toshiro said.

"We're right here, you know." Renji said, a little insulted.

"I think Nathan is referring to Ren." Rukia said. "She is eighteen, after all."

"Don't you have any shame at all?" Toshiro asked Nathan, who just grinned.

"Hey, she's coming!" Tom said, spotting Ren walking up the path towards the house.

"Everyone in position!"

"But the food isn't done yet!"

"Worry about that later. Come on!" Everybody hurried to a hiding spot in the living room, with Toshiro being dragged to one by Steph. Tom clicked the lights off and got in his own hiding place. Everyone was quiet, and listened as the front door opened.

"Hello? Anybody home?" Ren's voice called out.

"This is stupid. It's going to freak her out." Toshiro whispered.

"Shhh." Steph shushed Toshiro, a finger over her lips.

"Anyone?" Footsteps went up the hall. They were getting closer to the living room archway. Nobody could resist peeking over to see Ren's silhouette appear in the archway.

"It's dark. Did you guys have a blackout again? I already showed you where the fuse box and light bulbs were." Ren fumbled the wall for a light switch, and when she found it, she flicked it up, illuminating the room, which was everyone's cue to burst out of their hiding places, pull on a few party poppers and yell:

"SURPRISE!"

"NYAAAAAAAA!" Ren yelled, quickly hiding behind the wall.

"…" Everyone stayed silent, sweat dropping a little as the coloured paper of the party poppers floated around them and landed on the carpet. That reaction was…new. Usually, people were thrilled by a surprise party. They were never scared of one.

"See?" Toshiro said. "I told you she'd freak out."

"Well, she's never really had a surprise party before." Steph said with an embarrassed smile.

"Uh…Ren?" Tom called out. "Are you okay?" Slowly, Ren peered around the corner with a fearful look on her face, and most of the boys in the room couldn't help but think how cute she looked just then.

"What are you doing?" Ren asked, finally recovering enough to enter the living room, but she still kept one hand on the wall. She was wearing her Nyan Cat outfit once again, and any signs of battle had vanished. It was like everything was brand new.

"We're throwing a surprise party for you!" Rangiku said happily, pulling on another party popper.

"I understand that. But, why?"

"Because you were so upset after that Epona stuff." Steph answered.

"I was?" Ren blinked.

"Yeah. We just want you to know that you may not be able to forgive yourself for what happened…" Toshiro flashed Ren one of his smiles. "But we forgive you."

"Thanks, guys." Ren smiled back, touched.

"And that's not all." Toshiro reached into his pocket, pulled it out and opened his palm out to Ren, revealing what was in there. Ren gasped.

"My bracelet!" Ren took it out of Toshiro's hand, looking around it for any sign of damage. "Where did you find it?"

"It landed in front of me right after you threw it."

"Omigod, this is such a relief." Ren slipped the bracelet onto her wrist again, feeling the same as the day she first got it. "Thank you so much!" Ren threw her arms around Toshiro's neck in a hug.

"I'm not done yet."

"Huh?" Ren pulled away. "You're not."

"No." Toshiro looked away for a moment before looking back to Ren, deciding once and for all he was going to reveal Zena's existence. "There's something I've been keeping from you for too long, and I want you to know."

"Is it that you've been secretly communicating with this Zena person everyone's been talking about since her spirit is inside my necklace and she told you not to say anything about it because she thought it would freak me out?" Ren said quickly and in one breath.

"…" Everyone in the room felt their jaws drop after that explanation. Ren figured it out already? How?! Nathan and Katelyn were the only ones who didn't let their jaws drop, since this was all a first to them.

"Okay, someone's gonna have to fill me in." Nathan said. Nobody responded. He looked at Katelyn, who merely shrugged.

"…" Without saying anything, Ren closed Toshiro's jaw for him.

"How did you…" Toshiro started, raising a hand feebly to point at her.

"Figured it out." Ren said with a shrug. "I mean, you got an Amber before everybody else did. I can see it stick out of your pocket every so often." Toshiro looked down and realised that the shape it made in his pocket was kind of obvious. "And my necklace is the same shape as my birthmarks. I thought it was nothing but, since we're dealing with an organisation, I thought assumptions would be harmless."

"You…" Toshiro closed his eyes for a moment, getting himself together. When he did, he opened his eyes and smiled at Ren again. "You really are something else."

"And how!" Ren said happily, giving Toshiro her signature smile. "Just tell me the next time something like that happens, okay?"

"Yes." Toshiro nodded.

_She figured it out already?!_ Toshiro heard Zena exclaim in his head.

_That's Ren for you. Get used to it._ Toshiro thought back, amused.

"Now, I do believe that there is a party to be had."

"Yes, there is!" Rangiku clapped her hands together.

"I'll get the rest of the snacks." Katelyn went back into the kitchen.

Thirty minutes later

"Singin' Radiohead at the top of our lungs!"

"With the boom box blaring as we're falling in love!"

"Got a bottle of whatever but it's getting' us drunk!"

"Singin' here's to never growing up!" Tom, Steph and Katelyn sang loudly, clanging their bottles together as they sang the last line. All three of them were rather drunk, and so was everybody else in the room. Rangiku was dancing around the room and waving a bottle of wine in the air, not caring if some spilled. Rukia was bickering with Renji in a rather slurred voice. Nathan was leaning on the wall, grumbling sentences like 'Why doesn't Toshiro like me?'. Ichigo was the only one sober, sitting in the middle of the room with a blank expression. He wasn't sure whether to be exasperated, embarrassed or laughing his ass off at the drunken antics going on around him. But, when he saw Ren and Toshiro enter the room, he felt relieved that he wasn't the only sane one.

"…" Toshiro was speechless at what was happening. He explicitly ordered them not to drink alcohol!

"Huh." Ren said calmly. "Well, this is a thing."

"Renji, what happened?" Toshiro almost demanded, dragging Renji away from Rukia.

"Oh, hey Captain Hitsugaya!" Renji said happily. "Wow, you're so tiny."

"I'm going to ignore that if you tell me why you're drunk." Toshiro grumbled angrily, an anger mark clearly visible on his head.

"Who're you callin' drunk?! You're not drunk, I'm drunk!" Renji exclaimed.

"That's what I just said."

"Shiro, it's hopeless." Ren led Toshiro away from Renji gently, just as Renji was pounced on by Rukia. "People are impossible to talk to when they're that drunk."

"Heeeeeeeey, buddy!" Nathan suddenly had his arm wrapped around Toshiro's shoulder, and Toshiro wrinkled his nose at the smell of Nathan's breath. "How ya doin'?"

"I'm not your buddy." Toshiro grumbled, pushing Nathan away from him. "And two words: breath and mint."

"Aw, don't be so mean." Nathan whined.

"You don't seem too drunk. What happened?" Ren asked.

"Okay, well, uh, basically there, uh…there was a uh…cabinet, and the uh, um uh, booze!" Nathan muttered, exclaiming the last word with open arms.

"Okay, I got the words 'cabinet' and 'booze'. Did Rangiku find the alcohol cupboard?" Ren asked.

"Yeah, that's it. And now, everyone is tretty much potally fitshased. Wait, wait, I said that wrong. I meant to say everyone is sretty much fotally pittased. No, no, hang on, I got this. I meant to say…"

"Okay, okay, okay, you don't have to tell us!" Ren said quickly, covering Nathan's mouth with both her hands. "We're already beyond the PG mark, so let's try and keep it between 12 and 15!"

"What are you talking about?" Toshiro asked, confused.

"Nothing." Ren wandered away from Nathan.

"Well, it looks like we're the only two not drinking anything."

"Make that three." Ichigo said, raising his hand up for Toshiro and Ren to see.

"So three of us are not drunk." Toshiro corrected.

"I swear to drunk I'm not God!" Rangiku exclaimed, staggering past the pair with her bottle of wine and a tumbler half full of wine, both of which kept spilling over.

"Isn't it meant to be the other way around?" Toshiro asked, sweat dropping at how Rangiku had predictably proved his point.

"I'm gonna put the carpet stains on their rent." Ren said matter-of-factly after seeing how much of a mess Rangiku had made.

"Why aren't you drinking anything?" Ichigo asked Ren.

"Why aren't you?" Ren retorted.

"Underage."

"That's not stopping Steph. Or Nathan, for that matter."

"Nathan is a special case." Toshiro muttered.

"I heard that, Shiro. Besides, I don't really drink alcohol. It's gross! Plus, I don't wanna make an ass of myself in front of my friends." Ren glanced over at Steph, who was clinging on to an embarrassed Tom. "Clearly they don't share my worries."

"I'm glad you're the responsible one here." Ichigo said.

"Someone has to be." Ren shrugged. Ren took a can of Coke off the table in front of Ichigo and opened it, taking a swig. "Believe me; I've dabbled in drunken antics before. And, I've noticed the different types of drunk."

"Types of drunk?" Toshiro repeated.

"Yup." Ren nodded. "Boys, allow me to educate you. Exhibit A…" Ren indicated Tom, Katelyn and Steph with one hand. "We have two different types of drunk. Katelyn is a happy drunk."

"I now pronounce you man and wife!" Katelyn said happily, pointing at Steph and Tom.

"You may now kiss the bride…" Steph said with a smile, placing her hands on a nervous Tom's shoulders, who didn't know how to react.

"Steph is a flirty drunk. Tom appears to be a dizzy drunk, since his eyes occasionally wobble and his head keeps drooping."

"…" Ichigo and Toshiro nodded at Ren's words as though they were students and Ren was a teacher. They were even sitting in front of the coffee table.

"Exhibit B" Ren indicated Nathan with another motion of her hand, and he had resumed slumping against a wall and muttering under his breath. "From what I've seen tonight, Nathan goes back between happy drunk and gloomy drunk, but both of those depends on the mood of the person. Exhibit C" Ren indicated Renji and Rukia, who were nearby the trio "Renji also qualifies as a happy drunk, and judging by the headlock Rukia has him in, I'd say she's an angry drunk."

"She can get angrier?" Ichigo said in a fearful voice, turning around to look at Rukia, who noticed him staring at her.

"You threw me off the Sokyoku!" Rukia yelled, pointing at Ichigo. "I almost died again!"

"I'm not even gonna ask." Ren said calmly. "Exhibit D…" She looked around the room. "Hey, where's Rangiku?"

"Over there." Toshiro pointed to his left. Ichigo and Ren looked. After a few seconds, Toshiro went wide eyed and Ichigo's face went bright red.

"Huh. Well, I guess Rangiku is a stripper drunk."

"Rangiku!" Toshiro stood up and rushed towards Rangiku before she could lose any more dignity.

"And I believe that are all the major classes of drunk." Ren clapped her hands together once to show she was finished.

"I swear, I'm never touching a drop of alcohol." Ichigo vowed, his face becoming less red every second.

"Well, there's always gotta be a couple people sober at a party." Ren said, sitting down next to Ichigo.

"Why?"

"Designated drivers. Duh."

"Oh, yeah."

"Look on the bright side."

"What bright side?"

"At least there aren't any lightweights." Ren said with a wink. "The last thing we need is someone who can't hold their liquor."

"Finally." Toshiro sighed, coming back into the room. "Rangiku fell asleep. Judging by the amount she drank, she'll be awake in a few more minutes. Let's hope she's a little more sober." Saying this made Toshiro mentally shudder at the fact that he knew exactly how to deal with Rangiku when she was drunk, mainly when she was in the office and trying to get out of doing work. Hopefully, he won't have to do it again anytime soon.

"Toshirooooooo!" Steph suddenly wrapped her arms around Toshiro, giggling. "Isn't it great that Ren's back?!"

"Yeah, sure, it's great." Toshiro said dismissively, trying to loosen Steph's grip around him. But, Steph already had, and was now staring intently at his face. "What?" Without warning, Steph grabbed a clump of Toshiro's white hair in her fist. She tugged it a little, pulling Toshiro's head towards her and prompting a flat "ow" from Toshiro.

"Woooooow, you're hair's so cool! I thought it would be rough 'cos of the spikes, but it's actually really soft!" Steph then ruffled Toshiro's hair while laughing. "Do you use Ren's conditioner of something?!"

"Okay, okay, my hair is weird." Toshiro finally pulled himself free from Steph's grip and sat down on a chair as far away from Steph as he could go, rubbing his head. This party was giving him a headache, and in more ways than one. Steph had already got bored and was back with Tom, who was lying on the ground and moaning about how dizzy he felt.

"Ren was right. He really is a dizzy drunk." Toshiro thought out loud. "Speaking of drink, I really need one." Toshiro looked left and right across the table he was sat behind. "Ah. There's one." Toshiro grabbed a glass full of blue liquid and took a gulp. He pulled the glass away and stared at it, suspicious. "Funny tasting soda. It must have gone flat. Oh, well."

"Hey, careful with that!" Ren barely caught a vase that was falling off the table thanks to Renji's clumsiness. She placed it back where it originally stood with a sigh. "If I see any more stains or breakages, I'm adding them on your rent! Geez!" Ren proceeded to wander around the music filled house, avoiding the messes on the floor. "It's not easy being the non-drinker. At least I'm not the only one." Ren smiled as soon as she saw Toshiro sitting at another table. "And there's one now." Ren trotted over to him. "Hey, Shiro, how are things on your end?" No answer. Toshiro just looked ahead of him, his head in his hand. "Shiro, what's up?"

"Who the hell're you?!" Toshiro demanded with a slurred voice, looking up at Ren.

"Eh?" Ren stared at Toshiro blankly.

"Ah, it's Ren. Do you know how much trouble you caused me running off to Epona? I just can't take my eyes off you, can I? You really are an eccentric weirdo, aren't'cha?!" Toshiro burst out laughing, but Ren continued to stare at him blankly.

"Shiro…What have you been drinking?"

"Just some soda. Best damn soda I ever had!" Toshiro showed Ren his glass of blue liquid, which only had a little bit left. Ren took it from his hand and, ignoring Toshiro's protests, gave it a sniff.

"An alcopop?!" Ren exclaimed. "These barely have any alcohol in it at all!"

_So much for no lightweights…_Ren thought.

"Can I have it back now? Thanks." Toshiro took the glass from Ren's hand before she could respond and downed the rest of it, slamming the glass on the table afterwards.

"Shiro, I think you're drunk."

"You're drunk!" Toshiro retorted, hiccupping immediately afterwards.

"Denial is the clincher. You are drunk."

"I'm not drunk! Huh? Hey, who are your two friends? Aren't you going to introduce me? And why do they look like you?"

"…" Ren answered by getting out her phone and holding it up to Toshiro's level.

"What're you doing?"

"Getting video evidence, 'cos you're not gonna believe anybody tomorrow."

"Evidence of what? How awesome I am?"

"You said the word 'awesome'. You must be drunk."

"Hey, I'm not a…a uh…um…" Toshiro looked away. "Wait, what's that word again?"

"I guess alcohol really does make somebody stupid." Ren said matter-of-factly.

"I'm not stupid! I'm the freakin' captain of the freakin' tenth squad!" Toshiro slammed his hand on the table "Debbie Downer! That's the word! I'm not a Debbie Downer!"

"You really cannot hold a conversation. And Debbie Downer is two words. Plus, I don't think that applies to you."

"You shut up!" Toshiro stood up, but promptly tripped over his own feet, making Ren drop her phone on the table and catch him. "Whoops!" Toshiro laughed and hiccupped again.

"Okay, come on, Mr Awesome." Ren wrapped Toshiro's arm around her shoulder and started to lead him out of the room. But, she left her phone behind, which was picked up by none other than Rangiku, who was a little more sober than before. She saw her captain being led out of the room, and smiled. This could be fun.

The next morning

"Urgh…My head…" Steph slowly walked into the room, rubbing her head. Everyone, except for Ichigo, Ren and Toshiro, were also in the living room, groaning. Some had passed out on the floor, but the humans had the sense to go upstairs.

"God, it feels like there's a knife in my head." Nathan collapsed face first into a sofa.

"I think I'm dying…The room's all spinny…" Tom said in a voice that was still a little slurred.

"My friends, you have hangovers." Ren said, entering the room.

"Ren, not so loud. My head hurts." Toshiro said in a quiet voice, appearing beside her. Upon realising Toshiro was right there, Ren's cheeks went pink and she edged away from him, much to his confusion.

"You've obviously never had one." Ren said, pointing at Toshiro. "Alright, if anyone has a splitting headache, raise your hands." Everyone raised their hands, even Nathan, who was still face down on the sofa, and Tom, who was flat on his back on the floor. "Hands down." Everyone did so. "If your throat is dry, raise your hands." More hands went up. "Yup. Hangovers. It's fine. There's some painkillers in the cupboard next to the cereal, get plenty of water in you and you'll be fine." This prompted a lot of groans and complaining from everyone in the room.

"Come on! Can't you use your healing power on us?" Renji moaned.

"Yeah, then we'll be better like that." Steph snapped her fingers, and that same hand went to her head after the snap.

"Daaaaaaaaame!" Ren insisted. "You brought these hangovers onto yourselves, so you're gonna have to nurse them yourself."

"Pleeeeeeeease." Everyone said at the same time. Well, everyone except Toshiro.

"Oh, fine!" Ren finally relented. "But only because you're my friends."

"Yaaaaaay!" Everyone cheered, and seconds later, they were all groaning from the pain that cheer gave them.

"Bakas." Ren sighed. "Shiro, since you didn't know you were drinking alcohol, I'll do you first."

"Wait, what?" Toshiro said as Ren's glowing hands went to his head. In mere seconds, his headache immediately went away. He still felt a little thirsty, but other than that, he felt good as new.

"Right, who's next?" Ren said, wandering away from Toshiro a little quickly, which Toshiro noticed. Why was Ren acting like this?

…

"Alright, that's the last one." Ren dusted her hands off. Everyone was already feeling a lot better, since their headaches were gone and all that was left over was their dry throats.

"Who wants water?" Ichigo came out of the kitchen with a box full of bottled water, and in less than a second, it was instantly empty. "What the?!"

"Man, last night was wild." Steph said after taking a huge gulp of water and feeling instantly better.

"Too bad some of us don't remember it." Renji said.

"Well, at least I wasn't drunk texting my ex." Katelyn said.

"Check your recent calls." Ren said, overhearing what Katelyn said.

"?" Katelyn got her phone out of her pocket. Silence. "Damn it!" She exclaimed angrily.

"Wait, what about school?" Tom gasped.

"It's Saturday."

"Oh, yeah. Thanks, Ren."

"And if you'll excuse me, I've gotta go to my theatre group." Ren turned around to leave, but a beeping noise stopped her. "Hm?" Ren took her phone out of her pocket and looked at it. Silence. "Son of a…" Ren shoved her phone pack in her pocket, grumbling.

"What's wrong?" Katelyn asked.

"Altair wants to see me."

"Now?" Tom asked.

"Well, in a few minutes. I gotta go to one of his 'therapy sessions'." Ren made quotation marks in the air. "Damn bastard always wants to see me for therapy at this time. I mean, it's not like there's a virus that comes around every March."

_Every March?_ Toshiro thought, paying attention to what was being said. _That's the same as the anniversary and the blank fortnight._

"Well, it'll only be for a fortnight." Steph said, trying to lighten Ren's mood a little.

"I guess. But, it's not the therapy that bugs me. It's more the fact that I never seem to remember the sessions. Do you guys know what he does?"

"…" Katelyn, Steph, Tom and Nathan looked at one another, neither one wanting to answer. And this certainly didn't go unnoticed by Toshiro. But, Ren paid it no mind.

"Guess I'll be missing my theatre group. Again!"

"Ren…" Toshiro started. "If I may ask, why exactly do you see this man? Is there something wrong?"

"Why do I see him?" Ren repeated. "Why _do_ I see him?" Ren folded her arms in thought. "Huh. You know, I have no idea. I've been seeing him for a fortnight every year for a while now, and I can never remember…Gh!" Ren suddenly moved her hands up to her head, and Toshiro could see how her fingers were clenching her skull. She had somehow been stricken with a headache.

"Ren!" Toshiro went to Ren's side when she collapsed on her knees. Toshiro got down to her level and grabbed her arm before she could fall any further. "Are you alright?" Toshiro asked. He saw Ren's cheeks go pink.

"Um, yeah, I'm fine. Just got a headache is all. I'm probably just tired after last night." Ren said quickly, avoiding eye contact with Toshiro at all costs.

"Are you sure?" Toshiro leaned closer towards Ren, placing a hand on her forehead. When Ren realised just how close Toshiro was to her, her cheeks turned from pink to red. "You do feel a little warm…" Now, Ren's face had turned a glowing scarlet.

"Bathroom! 'Scuse me!" Ren squeaked, pushing Toshiro away from her and running out of the room.

"Um…What just happened?" Toshiro asked, looking at the group. In particular, he noticed how Rangiku was trying to hide a grin on her face.

"Why don't you ask her?" Rangiku said mysteriously, pointing at the archway Ren had left from.

"I don't think she'd tell me if her running out the room is anything to go by." Toshiro picked himself up from the ground, looking around for some bottled water. He was still absolutely parched! He grabbed one and took a quick swig. "Did something happen last night?"

"Maybe…" Nathan said slowly.

"Maybe not…" Tom said in an equally slow voice. Both of them were looking both amused and guilty.

"What happened?" Toshiro asked impatiently.

"Toshiro…Have you been on YouTube recently?" Steph asked.

"What's a YouTube?" Toshiro asked, confused.

"YouTube is an online site where people share videos." Ren said, peering round the corner as she explained.

"Okay, that sounds like a stupid idea. So, what does this have to do with last night?"

"!" Ren's face went pink again. "Gomenasai!" Ren clasped her hands above her head, which was bowed.

"Why are you apologizing?"

"Well, you drank some alcohol that you mistook for soda, and that was enough to get you pre-tty drunk." Ren explained while taking out her phone and tapping at the screen a few times. "I recorded a little of it, but then I forgot about it, Rangiku found it, she recorded the rest and somehow managed to upload it on the internet."

"What?" Toshiro said flatly.

"Here." Ren showed Toshiro the screen of her phone, and Toshiro stepped a little closer to look at it.

"What're you doing?"

"Getting video evidence, 'cos you're not gonna believe anybody tomorrow."

"!" Toshiro went wide-eyed after hearing those first two lines. Most importantly, he was shocked at how ridiculous he looked in that video. And how he sounded. If it were Rangiku in the video, he would understand, but him?!

"Evidence of what? How awesome I am?"

"You said the word 'awesome'. You must be drunk."

"Hey, I'm not a…a uh…um…Wait, what's that word again?"

"I guess alcohol really does make somebody stupid."

"I'm not stupid! I'm the freakin' captain of the freakin' tenth squad! Debbie Downer! That's the word! I'm not a Debbie Downer!"

"You really cannot hold a conversation. And Debbie Downer is two words. Plus, I don't think that applies to you."

"You shut up! Whoops!"

"Okay, come on, Mr Awesome."

"Oh, no." Toshiro finally said, which sounded a lot stupider than it did in his head, but he was too mortified to care. "This could not be any more humiliating."

"Give it a minute." Ren said flatly.

"Woooooooow! This bed is soooooo comfortable!"

"Yeah, yeah. Just get some rest and you'll have a nice hangover in the morning." The camera had a shot of Toshiro and Ren in a bedroom, neither one of them noticing that someone was recording them. Ren turned to leave, but Toshiro grabbed her arm. "Shiro?"

"Listen, I know that I'm…I'm a bit of a jerk sometimes. But it's only because I care about you."

"Huh?"

"You…You are such…an amazing person. You…" Toshiro pointed a wobbly finger at Ren as he struggled to stay upright as he sat on the edge of the bed. "I am so lucky to have met you. You know that?"

"Shiro…I don't understand what you're saying." Ren slipped her arm from Toshiro's grip, but he didn't even notice.

"Wha…What's to understand? I'm saying I like you. There! I said it! I like you, Ren! I like you soooooooo much!"

"Aw…geez…" Ren shifted around uncomfortably, her face starting to turn a little red.

"Oh my goodness."

"Eh? Rangiku, what are you doing?"

"That's my line. What are you doing with my captain?" Rangiku retorted playfully.

"Trying to sober him up a bit, and…Rangiku, is that my phone?"

"Nooooooooo…"

"Are you…Are you recording us with the camera?!" Ren recoiled back, embarrassed.

"Cheese!" Toshiro exclaimed, throwing his arms up in the air.

"Busted!"

"Rangiku, get back here!"

And just like that, the video ended. Nobody said anything, afraid of how Toshiro would react to this video. There was a slight chill in the air, and some people could have sworn the water in Toshiro's plastic bottle was starting to freeze.

"Rangiku…" Toshiro said calmly, turning around to face her, and Rangiku flinched.

"Um…well…we were all very drunk." Rangiku reasoned with a nervous smile.

"Run." Toshiro said.

"It's not my fault! It was uh…uh…Tom!"

"What?!" Tom exclaimed.

"Yeah! He told me about the website! Blame him! Oh, and it was Renji's idea to upload it! Nathan encouraged it, too!"

"Uh oh." Renji and Nathan looked away, wondering what Toshiro was going to do to him. To either of them.

"Run…to Soul Society." Toshiro said slowly.

Silence

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" Rangiku yelled, running out of the living room as fast as she could go.

"RANGIKU! Get back here!" Toshiro ran after her, and Ren watched him run off, pocketing her phone.

"Okay, well, that happened." Ren turned to the rest of the group. "Now, I'm sure you understand that this house could do with tidying up, so Renji will take care of that as punishment for his part in that video."

"Say what?! Why me?!"

"Because Rangiku ran, now get a mop. I want to see these carpets spotless by the time I get back from Altair."

"Damn Rangiku…" Renji grumbled, skulking off with hunched shoulders.

"Shouldn't we go after him?" Nathan asked. "I mean, Toshiro is pretty tough."

"Nah, he'll be okay." Ren said dismissively.

"He nearly broke my nose, you know."

"Well, you did have it coming. And whatever he does to Rangiku, she'll have it coming, too."

"Dang, you can be surprisingly harsh. You know that?" Nathan said.

"Yup. I am the landlady here, after all. And that reminds me, you and Tom are going to help Renji."

"But-"

"No buts."

"Yes, Ren." Nathan and Tom said gloomily, hanging their heads. Ren heard a skidding noise, and Toshiro was back in the living room, clenching his water bottle angrily.

"She got away. Damn it." He took a huge swig of water, not paying attention to the fact that it was now ice cold.

"Go easy on her, okay?" Ren said.

"Why? She's my lieutenant." Toshiro retorted. "And that video was just so…demeaning." Toshiro eventually found the word he was looking for.

"Yeah, but she uploaded it from my phone. So, if you want to, I can delete that video and it will be like this never happened. 'Kay?" Ren said with a smile.

"I'd really appreciate that." Toshiro said gratefully.

"Great. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to see Altair. I'm getting another headache after all this." Ren walked towards Toshiro and the exit of the living room, a hand on her head. She accidentally brushed shoulders with Toshiro, and upon this sudden contact, Toshiro felt his back burn. But this time, it felt hotter than usual. Was he going to end up using one of Ryuki's powers again? Was he going to have any visions? This suspicion was confirmed when he saw several images flash before his eyes. But they came by so quickly, he didn't have time to process what each one was. What he did process were intense emotions. Sadness. Pain. Anger. Hatred. They were all there. They made him dizzy. But, nobody in the room knew what was going on. In their eyes, they just saw Toshiro twitch when Ren brushed her shoulder against his.

"Sorry." Ren muttered a quick apology before she grabbed her bag from the hall, opened the front door and left the building. Everything was silent.

"Hey, Toshiro, you okay?" Ichigo asked, thinking that he would correct him like he usually did whenever Ichigo called him by his name. Nothing. Toshiro just continued to stare into space. After a couple seconds, Toshiro's grip on his water bottle loosened, and it collapsed on the carpet, leaving a puddle of water to get absorbed into the carpet. Then, Toshiro started to sway a little, and by the time Renji had entered with a mop, he was falling. When Rangiku entered several seconds later, Toshiro had collapsed on the floor, unmoving.

"A-Are you alright, Toshiro?" Steph and Tom were immediately by his side.

"What's got into him?" Nathan almost demanded, feeling Toshiro's neck for a pulse.

"Hey, Rukia, can you do something?" Tom asked frantically.

"Right." Rukia went to Toshiro's side, placed a hand on his shoulder, and she gasped. "What? He's unconscious! What happened?"

"What do we do? Do we call an ambulance?" Katelyn was already getting her phone out. While the humans and Rukia were trying to help Toshiro, Rangiku and the other Soul Reapers were just standing there, shocked.

"Toshiro!" Ichigo was the first to snap out of it, rushing to his side. "I'll take him upstairs."

"I'll go get some water." Renji went straight to the kitchen. Only Rangiku was left, as if she hadn't fully processed the fact that her captain had suddenly collapsed for some inexplicable reason. Eventually, the fact did get through to her. Toshiro was unconscious. He needed help! At the same time, Ren was already halfway down the street where the house resided, oblivious to what was going on, although it didn't stop her from hearing a voice. But, it was so quiet she thought nothing of it. She did not know that voice was Rangiku, ad she did not know that it was an anguished cry for her superior and friend that she had been running away from just a few minutes ago.

"CAPTAIN!"

**Dun dun duuuuuuuun! What just happened? Did Toshiro just have another vision? What did he see? Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It was really fun to do everyone drunk! Review, favourite, add, follow and see you in the next chapter!**


	28. The Jealousy Bug

**How's it going, guys? Welcome back to Fate and Destiny. It's been pretty busy up here, what with my brother graduating from university AND finding out he proposed to his girlfriend a couple days ago! WEDDING! It won't be until next year, though, but still, WEDDING! Then, my cousin proposed to HIS girlfriend. ANOTHER WEDDING! And, his baby son got christe-, whoops, I mean dedicated, I went up The Shard, I got to kill zombies in an abandoned mall; basically, July has been AWESOME! So, yeah, it's smiles all around right now. But, for Ren and Toshiro, there won't be as many smiles for a while yet. Care to find out why? Then read on and enjoy the ride!**

Chapter 26

The Jealousy Bug

_What the…Where am I? What is this place?_

_Toshiro knew he was awake, or conscious at least. But, he saw nothing but darkness. He couldn't even see his hand in front of his face. And, it felt like he was lying back on something. Something made of leather. A chaise, maybe? Then, without warning, a light shone right in his face, and Toshiro had to shield his eyes. He could faintly make out the silhouette of a man standing next to the light, but the light was so bright, Toshiro couldn't pick out any distinguishing features._

"_Now…I trust you know why you are here." The man said._

"…" _Toshiro said nothing. Or, more precisely, he couldn't. He tried to open his mouth to talk. To make a sound. But, nothing came out. Not even a single groan. It was like he had suddenly been stricken with lockjaw._

"_No answer? That's alright. There will be little need for talking here. Are you familiar with hypnotherapy?"_

"…" _Toshiro felt himself nod._

"_You will not feel a thing. It may take a while, but I promise you, you will be cured. For now."_

"…" _Toshiro saw the man leave the light and out of sight. He heard a rustling sound. Was the man searching through a drawer? If so, then for what?_

"_These sessions may seem…unpleasant. But, try to endure. For your sake. For the sake of your family. Your friends. Your home. Everything rests with what happens to you. The sooner you do as I ask, the sooner things will return to normal." Toshiro heard footsteps approach him again. The man was coming back. He felt something tighten around his right wrist, binding him to the chaise he was lying back on. It was painful. Whoever this man was, he clearly had no care towards him, even if he was supposed to be a doctor. Toshiro instinctively struggled against the binding, but it was no good. The leather rope was tied tightly, and wasn't about to loosen anytime soon. And, with each struggle, Toshiro could feel the leather rope rub up against his skin, and if he struggled a little more, Toshiro knew that he would end up drawing blood. He felt the rope tighten around on his left wrist, too. Then, on his ankles. He was completely immobile._

"_H-Hey! What are you doing?! Why are you binding me?!" Toshiro demanded._

_Did I just say that? Toshiro thought. I wasn't going to say anything. It's like somebody is speaking for me. No, they're speaking through me. What the hell is going on?_

"_I am a doctor. Your health is my top concern. Your comfort, however, is not." Toshiro heard a scraping sound. The man was pulling up a chair. He saw the man sit down on a chair, his hands linked together and his leg resting on top of his knee. Toshiro clenched his teeth. The doctor was looking at him as though Toshiro were a circus animal and he was a member of the audience. That bastard didn't give a damn about him!_

"_That doesn't explain why you tied me down! Take them off! I want to use my hands!" Toshiro cried out, and once more, it wasn't of his own accord. He tried to add his own retort, but again, found himself unable to open his mouth after that outburst._

"_This first session is most likely going to get violent. I have to take precautions so that you don't injure yourself. Or myself, for that matter. Besides, I'm sure you're used to this kind of binding. After all, you wear it every day here. Although, with the way you struggle against it, it's a miracle it hasn't left scars."_

_Binding? Toshiro thought. Scars? What's he talking about?_

"_Now, let's get started, shall we? Let's look back. Back to…last February, perhaps."_

"_I'd rather not." Toshiro said. At this point, he had stopped resisting against the involuntary talking. He was just going to roll with it, as Ren and her friends would say. "My memories are something I'd rather not remember."_

"_Your preference does not signify. I am here to help you forget."_

"_Forget? Forget what?"_

"_Your past. It holds you back from your future. Memories are more often a curse than a blessing. You are a slave to your memories. I am here to set you free."_

"…" _Toshiro said nothing. Or at least, the force making him speak against his will said nothing. Even then, he had nothing to say._

"_Now…relax."_

"…" _Toshiro obeyed. His head rested against the chaise, and he felt his fists unclench in the binds. Well, at least he could move by himself somewhat._

"_I will cover your eyes now."_

_Toshiro saw the man cover his eyes with something. Fortunately, this one wasn't made of leather. It was significantly softer. It was a cloth. Or, maybe, a sleep mask? Toshiro felt his eyes instinctively close against this blindfold._

"_Clear you mind of distractions…Focus…You are floating…weightless…Think back…"_

"_!" Toshiro gasped, but his eyes remained closed. He suddenly saw visions of fire right before his eyes. Everything was burning. He could feel the heat. He could smell the ashes and the smoke. And…something else. Was it…It was human flesh! People were being burnt alive!_

"_No…Don't make me go back there… I don't want to remember…"_

"_You won't. Forget that memory. It is unproductive."_

"_What memory?"_

"_Good. Now, think further back."_

"_!" Toshiro saw another image. It was of many shadowed figures. And they all had wicked grins on their faces, laughing at him. One person stood out in particular, with long curly hair and brandishing a box cutter in their hand. But, those silhouettes suddenly cracked, and then shattered like glass, like many windows had been broken at once. He saw glass shards fall around him. Then, he couldn't breathe. He felt like he was underwater, but he was as dry as a bone. Toshiro could feel water filling up his lungs. It made him cough and sputter and gasp for air._

"_No! Don't focus on that memory. Forget it. Forget it!" And, just like that, the vision was gone. Toshiro felt the invisible water leave his lungs, and the panting breaths confirmed that he could breathe again. But, why couldn't he breathe before? What did the man want him to forget? He couldn't remember. But, before he even had a chance to recollect himself, Toshiro saw another vision. It was the letter R. It was jagged. Like it had been scratched on with four solid, straight lines. Then he heard a girl laughing at him. She sounded no older than sixteen years old. Toshiro saw a spider crawl across the letter R. Normally, spiders didn't scare him, but this time, for some reason, he was absolutely terrified of this spider, even though it wasn't real. The letter R turned red, and red liquid seeped out of it, and as soon as Toshiro saw this, his left arm started to hurt. It was a hot pain that he was all too familiar with. It was the pain of a blade. The laughter became louder, and he heard the sounds of thumping on a door. He heard screams. His screams. He was suddenly screaming the words "Let me out!" over and over again. Toshiro felt sharp pains in his wrists. The man was right. This session was going to be violent. Toshiro seemed to be completely ignoring the pain the bindings were inflicting on him. He could feel them get wet, and he knew that the leather had cut into his skin. But, he didn't care. Toshiro just couldn't stop struggling against the bindings, no matter how much he wanted to. Something was preventing him from stopping. He just kept on struggling, and more blood kept seeping out of his wrists. He could feel some drops of blood drip down his hands and off his fingers._

"_Stop! You're injuring yourself!" Toshiro felt the man push down against his shoulders, restraining his struggling somewhat, and then the man grabbed his wrists, and Toshiro stopped struggling, gasping for air._

"_Let me out of here! Let me out!" Toshiro yelled. "Eh?" Toshiro saw the fire again, and he smelt the ashes and the burning flesh again. It was this memory again. "Fire!"_

"_Fire?"_

"_No…I'm in Hell!"_

"_That's not right. What's that doing there?"_

"_Get away from me!" Toshiro started to struggle again, but much more violently than before, and the man found it extremely difficult to remain on top of him. "No! Don't kill me! Don't kill me! Don't come any closer!"_

"_This is going to be more difficult than I thought." Toshiro felt the man let go of him, but he was struggling and screaming so much, he barely noticed or even cared. More blood dripped off his fists, and now the blindfold covering Toshiro's eyes started to get damp. The laughing girl was back again. But, the flames became much fiercer, and soon, that girl was also screaming. Toshiro had never heard screams like that before, and he had a job killing monsters that emitted truly terrifying screams. Somehow, this scream of a human in pain was far more frightening than any Hollow, or even Feather, he had ever fought. "What do you see?"_

"_Everything is burning! Make it stop! Make it stop! Somebody, help me!"_

"_It looks like this session is over. There has been more progress than I thought, but it will take a while before we are finished. Wake at the sound of my clap."_

"_No! No!" Toshiro kept yelling. He had never seen or felt something so horrific in all his life. He tried to focus on listening for the clap. He just wanted this nightmare to end!_

…

"NO!" Toshiro bolted upright, wide eyed. He was in a bedroom. It wasn't his room back at Ren's house. Toshiro remembered that there was a party at the Soul Reaper's house. He never left. He was safe. Panting, Toshiro rubbed his head, relieved that what he just experienced was only a dream. As if making sure, Toshiro looked at his wrists. They were unmarked. It really was just a dream. What the hell kind of dream was it, though? That's when he noticed he wasn't alone. The Soul Reapers were all in the room with him, staring at him. Toshiro couldn't tell if they were concerned or confused.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Toshiro asked, surprised how calm he sounded, considering what he just went through.

"Well…" Ichigo started, sharing a look with the Soul Reapers. "You passed out all of a sudden, so I carried you up here."

"Then, you started muttering something." Rukia explained. "Something about memories."

"And then you were thrashing around like you were being held down by something. I tried to hold you down, but you punched me in the face." Renji pointed out the new bruise on his cheek.

"Oh, and don't forget the screaming and uncontrollable sobbing!" Rangiku quipped in.

"What?" Toshiro placed a hand under his eye. The skin did feel a little damp. He thought it was sweat when he woke up, but after what Rangiku said, Toshiro couldn't believe that he, of all people, was crying. But, crying about what?

"We were really worried about you." Rukia said, concerned.

"Well, I'm fine now, so you have no need to worry." Toshiro swung his legs around so that he was sitting at the edge of the bed. "Anyone got some water?"

"Here." Renji handed him a half full bottle of water. Toshiro immediately took it and almost drank the whole thing, he was so thirsty.

"Sorry about punching you, Renji." Toshiro apologised as soon as his mouth left the lips of the plastic bottle.

"It's fine."

"What happened, Captain Hitsugaya?" Rukia asked.

"Your guess is as good as mine." Toshiro answered. "It was probably just a nightmare. I must have passed out from exhaustion or something. I mean, I did get quite drunk last night."

"I don't think it's any nightmare." Rukia said. "I did at first, and I tried to wake you up, but then…"

"But then what?" Toshiro asked, encouraging Rukia to finish her sentence.

"But then…I heard the name 'Rosalie'."

_What?_ Toshiro thought. _That's the name Ren kept saying the other day._

"Did you see Rosalie in your dream?" Rukia asked, her face suddenly serious.

"I…" Toshiro trailed off, thinking about what he saw. What _did_ he see? He knew it was frightening. Maybe even traumatic. But, for some reason, he couldn't recollect what happened.

"You don't have to tell us if you don't want to." Ichigo said, noticing Toshiro's hesitation.

"It's not that I don't want to tell you." Toshiro said. "It's that I can't."

"What, you mean you don't remember?" Renji asked, both surprised and frustrated. And that frustration grew when Toshiro shook his head.

"Even if I did remember…" Toshiro stood up from the bed, rubbing the rest of the moisture off his face with his arm. "It's something I never want to see again." Toshiro placed the water bottle down on the bedside table. "Where are the humans?"

"They uh…they left a couple minutes ago. They said they had to prepare for something." Ichigo answered.

"I see." Toshiro started to walk out of the room. "Thanks for your concern, but I'm fine now. If you need me, I'll be at Ren's house."

"…" The Soul Reapers didn't stop Toshiro, and all four of them shared their silent concern for their captain as his footsteps grew quieter until they vanished as soon as a door closed behind him. They had never seen him like that before. So vulnerable. So scared.

…

"I'm back." Toshiro called, walking through the front door. No answer. "Right. She's seeing that guy. What was his name? Altair?" Toshiro went through the hallway, and ended up gripping the banister of the stairs tightly. That dream he had left him more exhausted than before he passed out. And the headache he was having made the hangover feel like nothing in comparison.

"I need some rest." Summoning up his reserves of strength, Toshiro moved away from the stairs and practically dragged himself into the living room, collapsing on a sofa with a sigh.

_The humans have gone home._ Toshiro thought. _No, not home. They were making preparations. But for what?_

"Wait…" Toshiro suddenly got a sense of foreboding. "What day is it?" Toshiro took his phone out of his pocket and looked at the screen. The time was 11:34am and the date was Saturday 27th February. Wait, 27th February?!

"Huh?!" Toshiro bolted upright, holding the phone at arm's length. "27th?! I can't believe it's been this long!" Toshiro's eyes widened. "That means…" Toshiro looked out of the window, which had a great view of most of the village. "I'm already halfway through that Blank Fortnight." Toshiro looked at the date on his phone again. "The anniversary is on the 7th of March. It's unbelievable how close it is." Toshiro felt a little embarrassed. He was so focused on the Epona incident, he had completely forgotten about the anniversary.

"Okay…regroup." Toshiro collapsed back onto the sofa, resting his arm on his forehead. "The anniversary is coming up in more than a week. I don't know what the anniversary is for, and the humans seem to know more than they're letting on. Nathan is quite honest about it, but Katelyn and Stephanie just dodge the questions. But, they do look like they're hiding something. Ren might know about this, since she is a member of the head families. The village hall could contain something crucial about all this. And, there's a sixth village that nobody talks about. I'll have to find out where it is. There's a mystery tunnel behind Ren's house that leads who knows where. And, for some reason, there is a fortnight missing in all of the folders in this house. It might be the same for the village hall, but I'll have to go there myself to check. Right." Toshiro stood up off the sofa. For some reason, he felt a lot more energised. "First thing's first. I'll have a look around that village hall." Toshiro wobbled a bit, still a little woozy from the dream he had. "But not right now. I'll do it tomorrow."

"Do what tomorrow?" Ren asked, entering the living room.

"Wah, Ren, when did you get here?!" Toshiro almost exclaimed, startled by Ren's sudden appearance.

"Just now. But you were preoccupied by your own thoughts, as per." Ren wandered closer to Toshiro, staring intently at his face.

"Is everything okay?" Toshiro asked, confused. Ren didn't respond, and placed her hand on his forehead.

"You don't look too good. You're not getting ill, are ya?"

"No, I'm fine, I'm just tired… I guess."

"Are you still hungover?" Ren said, raising an eyebrow. "I thought I healed you."

"Probably. I've never had one before, so I don't know." Toshiro half-lied, as he was half hoping that this headache was from a hangover and not from that dream he had.

"Well, just get some rest and you'll be fine, okay?" Toshiro nodded. Ren moved her hand away from Toshiro and moved a step back from him, placing her hands on her hips. "And you still haven't answered my question. What are you doing tomorrow?"

"Um…Nothing important." Toshiro lied, and this time, it was a real lie.

_She mustn't know about what I'm doing._ Toshiro thought_. It would only worry her. As much as I know how involved Ren is in this anniversary, I don't want to drag her into this._

"Well, good. 'Cos I've got a little something I wanna teach you."

"Eh?"

"Look, I noticed during the whole Epona thing that you're telekinetic now, right? Well, I'm pretty handy when it comes to it, so I can teach you the basics. I mean, if you want to."

_Well, I guess the anniversary can wait._ Toshiro thought. _This will be useful in the future. After all, it's only a week._

"Alright." Toshiro said. "I am at your command."

"Geez, that makes me feel like a drill sergeant." Ren said with a smile.

"So, how did that meeting go?" Toshiro asked.

"Eh?"

"You left to see some guy named…Altair?" Ren nodded. "Yeah, Altair."

"Well, it went as okay as it can get." Ren said with a dismissive shrug.

"Why do you see him exactly?" Toshiro asked, feeling himself get suspicious.

"Honestly, I have no idea why I see him. And half the time, I don't even remember what we talk about in there." Ren tossed some hair over her shoulder. "He claims it's a side effect of the treatment. I just think it gives him something to do. You know, besides playing Solitaire." Ren gave a playful wink to Toshiro after saying this.

"So he's a doctor then?"

"Eh, more like a psychiatrist. And he's the village head, too."

"He's a village head? Like your father?"

"Yeah. But not just any village head. He's THE village head."

"What's the difference?" Toshiro asked, puzzled about this differentiation Ren was insisting on.

"Well, you know how their meetings are held with the heads?" Toshiro nodded. "Altair is the one who chairs them. He's the decision maker, in other words. My dad is his right hand man, since our family is the strongest head family and all."

"That makes sense."

"Personally though, I don't really like him. He's always treating me like a kid." Ren folded her arms huffily. "I may be in school, but I'm not a kid."

"To be fair, you do look like one."

"So do you!" Ren retorted, although it sounded more like a whine than a retort. "And he always looks at me like I'm about to blow up or something. Geez, normally I don't care if people look down on me, but that guy really irks me. In fact, he totally pisses me off! Oops." Ren's fingertips went to her mouth. "Don't tell him I said that."

"You have my word." Toshiro said, slightly amused.

_A doctor, huh?_ Toshiro thought. _Wait, could he be…_ Toshiro remembered the silhouette of a man in his dream. _Could he be THAT doctor?_

"What kind of treatment does he use?" Toshiro asked, wanting to confirm his suspicions.

"Hypnotherapy." Ren answered, not feeling the least bit suspicious of these questions Toshiro was suddenly asking her.

_It has to be him!_ Toshiro mentally confirmed the identity of the man he saw. _Altair…Why was I having that dream though? If I remember correctly, my back burned before I passed out. That was no ordinary dream. That was a vision! But I've never actually BEEN inside the vision before. What does this mean?_

"Oi." Ren snapped her fingers in front of Toshiro's face, and with a blink, Toshiro was back. "You gotta stop staring into space like that or somebody will crash into you."

"You do it more than I do."

"Yeah, but I've got better control over it. In fact, I'm spacing out right now."

"You are?" Toshiro said, confused. Ren didn't look like she was spacing out. In fact, she was as alert as ever.

"I'm a girl, Shiro! Girls can multitask much better than men."

"That's an unfair stereotype."

"Pfft, whatevs." Ren turned around and started to walk out of the living room. "I've got some school work to do." Ren had left the room, but that didn't stop her final sentence being heard. "Get practicing for tomorrow."

…

"Um…Ren?" Toshiro said, observing the surroundings the two of them were standing in. It was the garage that Ren had pushed him into not too long ago, although with what was going on, it seemed like such a lifetime ago. There was more junk on the floor than there was floor, with cardboard boxed either half full or overflowing with random items like board games, old lamps, stuffed toys, books; you name it, it was in there. What was meant to be a workbench was littered with tools that lacked a toolbox, and there were paint pots lined up on shelves on one side of the garage, along with bikes lines up on the other side, and showing no signs of moving away from that spot, or even signs that they had been used, as Toshiro could clearly tell without checking that the tyres were flat. The place was, by any definition, a mess. "Why are we in here?"

"To kill two birds with one stone." Ren answered, clapping her hands together. "If we practice in here, then we can clean up at the same time. Everyone wins!" Ren threw her arms up in the air happily after finishing her sentence.

"I think we'll end up making an even bigger mess than before." Toshiro said, kicking away a sock that looked all too familiar to him. "And it's not practice. It's actual training."

"Sure, sure!" Ren said happily yet dismissively, waving a hand airily. "Right. Let's start off easy, shall we?" Ren went over to a pile of boxes and started rummaging through them. "So, Shiro, until the Epona incident, have you used telekinesis before?"

Uh…no." Toshiro answered, trying to recollect any other times he could have used that power, and wanting to make sure he didn't lie to Ren again, even if it was unintentional. "That was the first time."

"So ka, so ka. So, you're a first timer. That means you can't move objects willingly yet, and they just burst out when you least expect it, or when your emotions are at their peak." Ren stopped rummaging and looked over her shoulder at Toshiro. "Right?" Upon seeing Toshiro nod, Ren turned back to the boxes. "So, I'm going to start with something simple. Nothing too heavy. Nothing too small. All we need today…" Ren straightened up and turned around. "Is this." Ren produced a small, white plastic sphere.

"A ping pong ball?"

"Yup." Ren tossed the ball in her hand. "It's light. It's small. Perfect for first timers. A bird's feather would be the ideal substitute, but I think this is more realistic, considering where we are." When Ren caught the ball after another toss, she loosened her grip on it, and with a few white stars twinkling around it, it floated a few inches out of her palm with no effort at all. "You're a smart guy, so I'm confident that you'll be able to at least lift it a little like I am now." Ren then made the ping pong ball to some loops and other tricks in mid-air. "Give it time, and you'll be able to lift more than one at the same time. But, right now, like I said, you have little to no control over it. It bursts out when you have temper tantrums, or when you need it most. In other words, your telekinesis relies solely on instinct right now. Like this!" Ren suddenly sent the ball flying in Toshiro's direction. With a yelp, Toshiro raised a hand up to shield himself. He felt his back get warm, and realised that the ball hadn't hit him. Toshiro looked at his hand. The ball was hovering right in front of it, shining with white stars. His white stars. He was using telekinesis!

"I knew it." Ren smirked with folded arms. Toshiro narrowed his eyes at her, suspicious. "What?"

"You're not using your own powers, are you?" He asked.

"Shiro, do you really think I'd do that?"

"I guess not." Toshiro lowered his hand, and the ball bounced on the ground a couple times before rolling a little and coming to a stop when Ren placed her foot on it.

"So, now that we've established you having these abilities, it's time to start bringing them out at will." Ren picked up the ping pong ball and placed it on the workbench. Ren beckoned Toshiro to come to the bench with her head, and Toshiro obeyed. "First things first." Ren stood a step back from the table, moving her arms behind her back. "I want you to move it."

"Move it?"

"It doesn't have to be flashy. Just give it a nudge."

"How exactly do I do this?" Toshiro asked, not taking his eyes off that little white ball.

"It's actually quite simple. You have to have a mental image."

"Mental image…" Toshiro muttered.

"Yup. Imagine that tiny little arms are shooting out of your eyes, and are pushing that ball. Once you have that ball in your grip, you'll know. Don't take your eyes off of it for a single second, or it won't work. I'm more skilled, so eye contact is not necessary, but you're not at my level yet, so don't shut your eyes. Blinking is okay, though." Ren added the last part quickly, since she sensed that Toshiro was going to be sarcastic and ask if he could blink.

_That saves me asking that question._ Toshiro thought, indirectly confirming Ren's suspicions. _Right._ Toshiro continued to stare at the ball. _Mental image…Little arms…_ After a few seconds of staring at it, Toshiro saw a few white stars shine around it. _And…_ The ball moved a tiny bit to the right. _Yes!_ Right after Toshiro thought this, the ball suddenly whooshed off the edge of the table and bounced on the ground, prompting Ren to quickly catch it in her hand before it could get lost again.

"I guess I put more force in it than I thought." Toshiro said apologetically.

"Are you kidding? This is great!" Ren placed the ball back on the table. "You're making much better progress than I thought. Keep it up!" Ren said enthusiastically, patting Toshiro on his back. "Eh?"

"What is it?" Toshiro asked, noticing how Ren had stopped talking.

"Oh, it's nothing." Ren said dismissively with her usual smile.

_Is it just me or did Toshiro's back feel warm? _Ren thought.

"So, what's next?" Toshiro asked, eager to start the next lesson.

"Right, well, you've managed to move it. Now, try to lift it up. Again, picture little arms shooting out and grabbing it. When you have it in your grip, let me know and I'll tell you what to do next." Ren placed her hand on Toshiro's back again, but Toshiro didn't say anything in protest.

"Right." Ren looked at the ball. After a few seconds, Toshiro's back got warm again, and he saw stars around the ball. "I've got it. Now what?"

_There it is again._ Ren thought, feeling the heat on Toshiro's back.

"Ren, what do I do now?" Toshiro asked again.

"Um, you…you need to beckon it to rise up with your hand." Ren answered, keeping focused on his back. "You're a beginner, so gestures a necessary until you've mastered it. Just go like this." Ren demonstrated with her hand raising her fingers up a few times.

"Okay…" Toshiro brought a hand up and raised the fingers up, beckoning the ball to rise. It did so.

_His back just got even warmer._ Ren thought. _Is this normal?_

"Hey, Ren, look! I'm doing it!"

"Huh?" Ren looked back to Toshiro, and was met with the sight of a ping pong ball floating in mid-air. "Sugoi, that's great, Shiro! You're a natural at this!"

"I have to say, you're a good teacher, Ren. I couldn't have done this without you." Toshiro looked at the floating ball. He was doing that. He was almost there. Toshiro was getting stronger. He could feel it. "Wow…"

"…" Ren said nothing, looking at Toshiro's face. She had never seen Toshiro this happy before. This training really meant a lot to him. Toshiro wanted to join the fight. If it wasn't obvious to Ren before, it was now. Honestly, a little part of her wanted him to fight, too. She could easily tell that Toshiro would rather be the shield than the shielded. Although, this pride Ren felt for Toshiro didn't stop her worries about his back, so she decided to put them to rest once and for all. "Shiro?"

"Yeah?"

"How long has your back been burning for?" Ren asked. As soon as Ren said, this, the ball dropped onto the table, bounced off the ground and into the boxes, once again lost, prompting Ren to sigh a little.

"Just…" Toshiro started. "A while."

"Does it happen whenever you use Ryuki's powers?" Ren asked.

"Sometimes." Toshiro answered slowly, once again amazed at Ren's perceptive nature.

"Sometimes?"

"It happens when you use your powers, too. In fact, it happens when any Cielvian powers are used."

"Is it painful?"

"No, but it's difficult to ignore." Toshiro said flatly, having already recovered from Ren's questioning. He had got used to Ren's eccentricity and her weirdness, so this was nothing new. But, it never stopped surprising him no matter how long he had known Ren for. There was a silence. "You're not mad, are you?"

"Not really. I just wanna know why you never said anything."

"I…I didn't want you to worry about me." Toshiro said, looking away. Another silence.

"Shiro?"

"Hm?" Toshiro looked back at Ren.

"You're a baka." Ren said bluntly. "Baka." Ren lightly karate chopped Toshiro on his head.

"And I am a baka why?" Toshiro asked, a little irked but not enough to get mad.

"Because friends are meant to worry about each other. It's called caring. Something you should be familiar with. It was you caring that set me free from the darkness, after all."

"I guess you're right."

"There ain't no 'I guess' about it." Ren said, wagging her finger. "I'll let you off with that karate chop." Ren smiled her smile. "You are forgiven."

"Thanks."

"Now, where'd that ball go?" Ren went towards the boxes the ball rolled under.

"It'll take you forever to find it in that mess." Toshiro said, looking up at the peak of the boxes. He wasn't liking how the one at the top was so close to falling off if it had the slightest nudge.

"Yeah, but that's the best part about being skilled with telekinesis." Ren turned around to face Toshiro, still smiling. "If you have enough skill…" Toshiro how every single box in the room had some white stars surrounding them. "Then something like this…" Every single box, paint pot, bike, equipment and whatever else was in that room lifted off the ground and spun around the garage, leaving the circle surrounding Toshiro and Ren the only space not filled with junk. Ren was still wearing her confident smile, her arms folded, while Toshiro looked at all the floating objects in awe as they stopped rotating around the pair and found their own place in the garage neatly. Ren walked up to Toshiro, holding her palm out for one final object to drop into her palm. Ren opened out her palm to Toshiro, revealing the white ping pong ball Toshiro lost just a few moments ago. "Is nothing." Ren finished.

"This is amazing." Toshiro looked around the room again. There was now a lot more floor, and the boxes were all lined up neatly against the walls. Now, this place looked fit to be a garage. At least, there was space for about two cars, which was its original purpose judging by the two garage doors against one wall. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say I was in the wrong house."

"Pretty neat, isn't it?" Ren said happily, placing the ping pong ball on the workbench again. "With enough practice, you'll be able to pull this off, too."

"You think so?" Toshiro asked hopefully. Ren placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I know so."

"…" Toshiro immediately felt a wave of happiness wash over him. Ren believed in him. She knew that he had what it took to control Ryuki's powers. And right now, that meant the world to him.

"But you gotta work at it. Things will only get tougher from here on out, so keep a stiff upper lip!" Ren flicked Toshiro's chin a little.

"What does that mean?" Toshiro asked, confused about that saying. That's one he's certainly never heard before.

"It means to persevere through tough times without showing a lot of emotion about it. Ya know, be calm in a situation that's gone to pot?"

"I'm guessing it's a British saying."

"Ding ding ding!" Ren pretended to ring a bell in mid-air. "You're getting the hang of Britain, aren't ya? What I'm saying is…" Ren's smile became gentler. "Stay strong, Shiro. I know what you're like. I'm always here to lighten your burden. You know that, right?"

"Yeah. I know."

"Good." Ren's phone started to ring in the pocket of her hoodie. "Hang on, I've gotta take this. You're free to go. You know the basics, so the rest is up to you." Ren started to walk out of the garage. "And try not to lose that ping pong ball." Ren closed the door behind her, her voice barely audible as she continued to walk away. "Oh, hey! So, you're nearly here, then."

"…" Toshiro looked around the garage, still amazed at Ren's skills. Now that he knew the basics of telekinesis, Toshiro couldn't wait to be as skilled as Ren.

_I'm almost there._ Toshiro thought, looking at his hand. He clenched it into a fist. _Just a little longer._

"Now…" Toshiro looked out the window towards the back garden. "I have work to do." Toshiro wandered towards the door, but when he heard a rattling sound, he stopped. "What was that?" He looked down at the ground. There was an orange cylinder on the ground with a white lid and a label on it filled with pills. Curious, Toshiro picked it up and read the label. The words DIAZEPAM and VALIUM were printed on the label. Toshiro wasn't in Squad Four, but he knew exactly what those words meant.

"Anxiety pills? Who would take these?" Toshiro scanned the label for any more information. "The date is quite recent. Did somebody drop these? Wait…" Toshiro finally found the name on the label. Right there, plain as day, was the name; "Ren Conner? These are Ren's?" Toshiro looked at the label again, convinced he had read it wrong. It was still there in black and white. Ren's name was on the label. These were definitely hers. "No…No, these can't be hers." Toshiro continued to stare at the pills in disbelief. Ren was the last person he would expect to need to take pills like this. She was always so energetic and cheerful. Hardly prone to panic attacks. Toshiro closed his eyes and forced himself to calm down. Whatever the case, he had to return these. He opened his eyes and left the garage. Ren was still talking on her phone, and had not even noticed Toshiro.

"Yeah, school is going as okay as it gets, considering it was on fire just a while ago…No nobody got hurt. The damage wasn't that bad, so the school opened up a lot faster than I thought it would. I mean, if stuff like this happened, you'd expect it to be closed a lot longer."

"…" Barely even listening to the conversation, Toshiro placed the pills on Ren's desk and left the room, grabbing a torch from an open cupboard on the way out.

…

"I think it was…here." Toshiro parted some long grass, and upon reaching a clearing that had a giant hole in it, he knew he had come to the right place. "Yes." Toshiro approached the hole, peering cautiously over the edge. "I fell in here a few days ago. I'm not sure if it's connected to the anniversary, but it's worth a look. If I don't find anything, I'm going to the village hall. Now, where's the ladder?" Toshiro spotted a thick plank jutting out of the wall. Toshiro sat on the edge of the pit, and fumbled his feet around until he finally got on a plank, and he spun around and began to carefully lower himself inside the pit, never taking his eyes away from the ground. He didn't want to get stuck inside this filthy pit again, and he certainly didn't want to get a sprained ankle. Eventually, he was closer to the bottom, and he let himself drop the final few metres, landing cleanly on his feet. He was in.

"Okay…here I go." Toshiro turned the torch on and started to walk through the tunnel, the dirt quickly turning to bricks, and his footsteps became much more solid rather than sounding like he was walking through mud. The ground had turned into concrete. Toshiro shone the torch on the walls on the tunnel. The bricks looked old and faded, and even chipped. They still retained their orangey-brown colour, but it was clear to tell that this tunnel had been here for a long time. But for what purpose was it here for?

_What were these things used for?_ Toshiro thought. _Maybe they were some kind of bomb shelter?_

"Gh!" Toshiro flinched and stopped walking. His back had unexpectedly started to burn. "Why now?" Toshiro instinctively looked at his back. It only reacted like this when there was Cielvian magic at use. That could only mean his suspicions were right. This tunnel must be linked to the anniversary.

"Hee hee hee!"

"!" Toshiro's eyes widened after hearing that giggle. "Who's there?!" Toshiro demanded, immediately turning around and pointing the torch ahead of him. Nothing. Just more tunnel. "Hello?" No response. Keeping the torch raised, Toshiro walked further into the tunnel, ignoring the burning on his back.

"Hee hee hee!"

_It's getting louder…_ Toshiro thought.

"Show yourself!" Toshiro yelled. No answer. Toshiro could faintly tell through the light of his torch that the space of the tunnel was getting wider. Toshiro ran over to it, and that's when he came to a split. The tunnel divided into five more tunnels, with a circular clearing in the middle. Toshiro saw how the ground was etched with a symbol of a flower with six petals, and there was clearly some writing on the petals, but the symbol had worn down with age and Toshiro couldn't make out what some of the letters said.

_Is it just me or are those petals pointing at the tunnels?_ Toshiro thought. Toshiro looked at the tunnel he just came from. _Ren's house is in Hazelford, so this might say… _Toshiro got down on one knee and looked closely at the letters on the petal pointing that way. He brushed away some dirt with his hand, making the letters a little clearer. He could just about make out that it said H- -E-FOR-. _Hazelford! These petals are arrows pointing out which tunnel leads where! So that means…_Toshiro shone the torch on another petal, recalling what he knew about the villages from the back of his mind. One petal said MILL- - AL-. _Millsdale_. Another said -AK-ORT-. _Oakworth. That's it! _Toshiro looked around at all the tunnel entrances. _These are tunnels connecting all the villages together!_

"Wait…what's this one?" Toshiro's attention was drawn to the sixth petal. Again, the letters were faded, and it read RE- -O-D. "Is it another village?"

"_Steph told you there were five villages, right? That was a lie. In reality, there are six of them. However, you'll find that nobody ever hears from the sixth."_

"So Nathan was telling the truth." Toshiro looked at the tunnel entrance and back at the petal. "There really is a sixth village. The Hidden Village is real. But what's it called? The letters are too faded. Maybe if I…" Toshiro moved away some more dust and dirt. A few more letters were a bit clearer now, and Toshiro could make out the name of this mystery village. "Redwood. So that's the name."

"Hee hee hee!"

"What?" Toshiro heard the giggling again. It was close. He shone the torch in the direction he heard it from, which was the entrance to the sixth village. He could faintly make out the retreating figure of a person. A girl who looked to be about sixteen years old. "Hey, wait!" Toshiro stood up and ran after the girl, who kept giggling and getting further and further away from him. Whoever this girl was, she was Toshiro's best bet in finding about this mysterious village. The fact that she was running straight towards it only confirmed that she must live there. "Get back here!" Toshiro yelled, but the girl ignored her, laughing again. "I'm not going to hurt you! I just want to-Gah!" Toshiro stopped running, dropping onto his knees and flinching in pain. "What…What's happening?" Toshiro's back had started to burn again, but it was a lot hotter than before. In fact, it was a lot more painful. It was so hot, Toshiro could feel a few beads of sweat fall off his face. Toshiro unconsciously wiped the sweat away and rested his back against the wall, the cool bricks soothing the burning somewhat. "That girl got away." Toshiro sighed.

_Who was she?_ Toshiro thought. _She looked no older than sixteen. And she had long, blonde hair. I think it was…curly? Yeah, it was curly. That's all I know._ Toshiro turned his head to the direction the girl ran off in. _In any case, whatever is up there, my back keeps burning. That means there's a Cielvian force involved. But, how? If the burning is anything to go by, I won't be able to go there the way I am now._

"What a pain…" Toshiro complained, standing up after feeling the burning on his back go down. "I'll have to come back here another time. For now, I'd better get out of here. Ren must be wondering where I am by now." Toshiro noticed how the light had dimmed on his torch, so he slammed it on his palm a couple times and the light returned. "The exit was…this way." Toshiro pointed the torch to his left, and right there in the light was a girl, who had appeared out of nowhere. "UWAH!" Toshiro fell back and crawled a little further back from this girl, alarmed and not even noticing how he had dropped his torch. "Wha-Where-Who are you?!" Toshiro stammered. He noticed the dropped torch, so he picked it up and shone it at the girl. She was rather tall with long, curly blonde hair and a pretty face. She had a pair of denim shorts on with a pink top and a yellow cardigan with short sleeves and a single button fastening with white borders on the edges of the cardigan, with a pin attached to the left breast of the cardigan made of a light fabric in the shape of a light pink rose, and her feet bore brown knew high lace up boots. Toshiro moved the light of the torch up and down this girl, who was staring intently at him. He couldn't help but notice how her clothes were a little torn at the edges, or had singe marks on them. Her boots were muddy and scratched. And some parts of her skin were darker than the rest of her body. It looked as though she had just come out of an accident.

_Is she a ghost?_ Toshiro thought, even though he knew that idea would be ridiculous, but given the situation he and Ren were in, it wouldn't be anything unusual.

"Hey, I asked you a question! Who are you?!" Toshiro demanded again, significantly calmer than before.

"You know her?" The girl asked. "You know Ren?"

"Ren? How do you know her?" Toshiro asked. But, the girl ignored him, and got down on one knee, peering closer at his face.

"Do you know Ren?" The girl asked again, a hint of desperation in her voice.

"Answer my question first!" Toshiro yelled. Toshiro yelped when he felt the girl grab his shoulders. He could feel her nails digging into his skin, she was clinging to him that tightly. This girl really was desperate. And how come he could feel the ghost? She should go straight through him, right? Why wasn't she going through him?! "Get off me!" Toshiro demanded, trying to shake her off, but her grip was too strong.

"Find us…Help us!" The girl cried.

"'Us'?! Who are you?! What's your name?!"

"Help us!" The girl yelled, and just like that, she vanished. Toshiro was alone.

"What the hell was that?" Toshiro asked nobody. He closed his eyes with a sigh, somewhat relieved that it was over. "She was that girl I chased earlier. She must be from Redwood. How does she know Ren?" Toshiro looked behind him through the tunnel leading to the village. The same tunnel that ghost girl vanished to. "Nope." Toshiro said quickly, standing up and running the hell away from that tunnel and back the way he came as fast as his Gigai would allow. As Ren would say:

"Screw this, I'm outta here!"

…

"That…was…close." Toshiro gasped, still catching his breath after running out of that tunnel, which was not easy considering the ladder he climbed up. He looked down the edge of the pit, and he turned and ran back to the house as if he was expecting another ghost to pop out and scare him. Scare him? Since when was he afraid of ghosts?

_What was that?_ Toshiro thought as he ran. _What the hell is going on here?!_

"Oof!" Toshiro's panicked train of thought came to a halt when Toshiro crashed into something. He staggered back, regaining his footing before he could fall over again. "Hey, watch it!" Toshiro snapped.

"I'm so sorry. Are you okay?"

"Huh?" Toshiro looked at the person who was speaking. It was a young man with short yet thick brown hair. He wore scruffy blue jeans, a black polo shirt and a grey zip up hoodie that was left undone. For some reason, Toshiro could tell that this was a dependable person just by looking at him, like an older brother figure, and his anger and fear from before just vanished. "No, I'm…I'm fine." Toshiro looked away, scratching the back of his head. "I wasn't looking where I was going."

"That's good. Hey, I don't think I've met you before. You're that new person, right? Toshiro, isn't it?"

"Yeah, that's me."

"Oh, you're that distant cousin."

"I am." Toshiro nodded, remembering the cover story that Ren came up with all those weeks ago.

"I finally get to meet you." The young man smiled down at him. "My name's Harley."

"That's a girl's name." Toshiro said bluntly.

"Ahaha! Yeah, I know!" Harley laughed, embarrassed. "But, another Harley is Harley Quinn, and she's pretty cool, so I guess that redeems me somewhat, right?"

"If you say so." Toshiro said, unconvinced, since he had no idea who or what a Harley Quinn was. Wasn't it some kind of clown costume? The door to Ren's house clicked, and it opened up to reveal Ren, who beamed.

"You're here!" Ren threw her arms around Harley in a hug, making him spin a little from the force of her jump.

"Haha, hey, Ren. How ya doin'? Did you miss me?"

"Uh huh!"

"Yeah, me too." Harley grabbed Ren under her arms and placed her back on the ground. "Now, is everything alright?"

"'Course. Why wouldn't it be?"

"Because there was a fire at the school. Are you sure you're not hurt?" Harley asked, his face full of concern.

"Well, I inhaled a lot of the smoke, but I'm okay now. Water under the bridge and all that."

"Well, alright. But you have to be more careful and stay out of trouble."

"I don't get into trouble! Trouble gets into me!" Ren whined.

"Geez, you're still whining like this?" Harley said with a sigh. "It's no wonder people keep thinking you're a kid." Harley shrugged with a smile. "Well, I guess it's your fault for being a shorty."

"Uuuu, I'm not short! I'm average!" Ren insisted, waving her arms up and down rapidly. Harley laughed.

"Come on, chill out, Ren." Harley patted Ren on her head. "Sorry, but I couldn't resist. You're just so fun to tease."

"Uuuu, then knock it off." Ren grumbled.

"Only if you stop giving those adorable reactions."

"Hentai."

"I know what that means, Ren. I've seen enough of your anime collection to understand your Japanese ticks."

"Right, yeah. Well, it's good to see you again."

"You too."

_These two look really close._ Toshiro thought, watching Harley and Ren interact with one another. _Was he an ex-boyfriend or something?_

"Excuse me, but why are you here?" Toshiro asked, reminding the pair that he was still here.

"Why? Can't I see my favourite girl in the world when I please?" Harley said, ruffling Ren's hair a bit and making her giggle, and for some reason, this really irked him. "Ah! I've gotta sort out some business at the village hall."

"Aw, but you just got here!"

"Don't worry. This will only take a few minutes. I'll be back before you know it." Harley tapped Ren's forehead with his fingers. "See ya. Nice meeting you, Toshiro."

"Sure." Toshiro said dismissively, watching Harley walk away.

"Isn't Harley awesome, Shiro?!" Ren almost exclaimed happily.

"Yeah…He is…" Toshiro said slowly. That boy seemed to be the perfect gentleman. He was kind, polite, reliable…And to top it off, he had a British accent. Then again, so did pretty much everybody in this place, but the British accent just seemed so…sophisticated. And for reasons Toshiro didn't understand, it totally pissed him off!

The next day, Classics lesson, 3:20pm

"Now, who can tell me which house this pot was found in?" A teacher with short red hair asked, holding up a picture of an ancient Greek pot. No hands went up, since they were all clueless. Toshiro and Ren were also oblivious, since Toshiro was preoccupied with Ren, and Ren's head was behind her text book and resting on her arms. It was obvious to him that Ren was fast asleep.

_The others are patrolling the area for Feathers._ Toshiro thought. _I'm just here to keep an eye on Ren. She's been behaving differently for a while now. She stares off into space more than usual. She mutters to herself._ Toshiro gave a start when Ren suddenly muttered something in a sleepy voice before settling down again. _And then there's this. I don't think she's ever been this drowsy. At least, not enough to fall asleep in class._

"I'll take my Xbox with fries, please…" Ren murmured in a sleepy voice.

_What the hell is she dreaming about?_ Toshiro thought, sweat dropping. Toshiro rested his head in his hand and stared out of the window, deep in thought. _I still haven't gone into the village hall yet. That could be the place that fills in the missing pieces of the puzzle. It doesn't help that all of Ren's friends are preoccupied with other business. It has to be linked to the anniversary coming up in…_ Toshiro looked at the date on his phone. _Six days._ Toshiro hid the phone before the teacher could take it off him. _As much as I hate to admit it, I might have to talk to Nathan again. Plus, I'm curious about why Ren takes those pills. I'll probably have to steer clear of that tunnel for now. It seems like a dangerous place._

"Geez…" Toshiro sighed, resting his head on the table with folded arms acting like a cushion. "So much to do, but so little time."

"No…"

"Eh?" Toshiro turned his attention back to Ren again, lifting his head a little off his desk. Ren was still fast asleep, but her eyes were twitching a little more.

"No…Stay away…" Ren made a shooing motion with her arm.

"Now, about the house of the fish monger…" The teacher continued, oblivious to the fact that one of her students was asleep.

"Don't come near me." Ren murmured, her voice getting a little louder.

_Is she having a nightmare?_ Toshiro thought.

"Ren, wake up." Toshiro said quietly, reaching out to touch her.

"And that house was located in-"

"Thornton!" Ren yelled, sitting up with such force, her textbook wobbled and started to fall off her desk. "Nya!" Ren made a frantic grab for the book and fumbled and twisted it in her hands before she finally managed to clasp it against her chest. The snickering and giggles Ren heard afterwards showed that she had just embarrassed herself.

"No, the house of the fish monger was not located in Thornton." The teacher said, amused. She folded her arms and smiled at Ren. "If you're that eager for chocolate, you can go to the pharmacist down the road after school. Oh, and you might want some ketchup for your Xbox." This prompted a few more giggles from the class.

_So she did hear everything._ Toshiro thought. Ren's cheeks turned red.

"Sorry, miss." Ren apologised sheepishly, bowing her head.

"It's alright, Ren. Considering the circumstances, I'll let this go."

"Wait, what circumstances?" Toshiro asked, overhearing that last comment.

"Didn't you know? Ren always gets drowsy at this time of the year. It's part of the therapy she goes through."

"Speaking of which…" Ren reached into the pocket of her blazer and took out an orange cylinder full of pills. The same pills Toshiro picked up the other day. Ren quickly took a pill, swallowed it, chugged some water from her water bottle and put the rest of the pills away back in her pocket as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

"You okay now, Ren?" The teacher asked.

"Yeah…" Ren said quietly. She took a deep breath and smiled her usual smile at the teacher. "Yeah, I'm okay now. Sorry for the interruption."

"You are forgiven. Now, in regards to the atrium of the house, the mosaic is…" The teacher continued to talk like this while walking away from the desk Ren and Toshiro were at. As soon as she was out of earshot, Ren groaned her trademark "Uuuu" and let her head slam into the desk, some of her hair splaying on the table.

"Oooowww…" Ren groaned in pain.

_So the therapy makes her drowsy…_Toshiro thought. _Makes sense. The guy is supposed to be a hypnotherapist. The only question is why Ren sees him. It doesn't look like there's anything wrong with her. In fact, she only started acting differently when the therapy started_. Toshiro got a notebook from Ren's side of the table without her noticing, turned to a new page and started scribbling down these thoughts before he could forget. With his memory, though, that was unlikely, but in these circumstances, Toshiro wasn't taking any chances. After all, this was a village-wide conspiracy. This hypnotherapist could end up making him forget everything he was doing for all he knew! _Ren's been seeing this Altair for six years, who is also the head of the villages. And thinking about it, this is meant to be the sixth anniversary for something I have yet to find out. Maybe the two are connected somehow. _Toshiro circled the words ANNIVERSARY and ALTAIR separately and connected a line between them before drawing a question mark on the line, and wrote about the medicine next to Altair's name, too. _And then there's that tunnel connecting the villages. And the sixth village that nobody talks about._ Toshiro added these additions to his notes. _The tunnel has some kind of ghost in it, along with a Cielvian presence my back keeps reacting to. This is what I know so far. Now all that's left to do is to find out how they are all connected._

"Are you using my notebook, Shiro?" Ren asked, her face still on the table.

"Yes, is that okay?" Toshiro asked, ready to slip the notebook back to her side.

"Yeah, hang onto it. I won't need it until later tonight anyway. I have an essay to write."

"Thanks." A pause, and Ren still didn't life her head off her desk. "You're not falling asleep, are you?"

"No."

"Then what are you doing?"

"Hoping that the ground swallows me up."

"Are you that embarrassed?"

"Eeyup." Ren said slowly. "It happens every year. It's that stinkin' Altair's fault. Making me fall asleep in class like this…I outta punch him in his old bastard face." Ren raised a fist up and shook it a little to prove her point before letting it flop to her side. Toshiro mentally confirmed his theory that Altair was causing her drowsiness.

"If it's any consolation, I usually get sleepy in the afternoon, too."

"Eeeeh?" Ren turned her head to look at Toshiro, but her hair blocked her way, so she grabbed some hair and lifted it up to look up at Toshiro like it was a curtain. "You do?"

"I do. Back in Soul Society, I would usually take a nap around this time in my office."

"So you can sleep on the job and Rangiku can't?"

"Not like that." Toshiro said quickly. "I'd make sure all my work was finished first. Although, to be honest, I sometimes lumber Rangiku with my work."

"So that's why she's always complaining. It's your fault."

"No, she's just lazy. I end up doing all the work anyway, whether it's my paperwork or not."

"So is there a reason why you nap in the afternoon?" Ren asked, raising her head off her desk enough to be able to flick her hair over her shoulder, which she did.

"Because children who sleep well grow well."

"And have you?"

"Um…no…" Toshiro looked away, embarrassed. "At least, not until now."

"Oh my god, that is so adorable." Ren said with a mischievous smile.

"There's nothing adorable about it." Toshiro said almost forcefully, feeling even more embarrassed. Probably more than Ren when she woke up in the middle of class.

"Aw, come on!" Ren teased, leaning closer towards Toshiro. "You don't have to hide from me. You just wanna hurry up and get taller, don't ya? Don't worry, you will. There, there." Ren playfully patted Toshiro on his head, which prompted the appearance of an anger mark on Toshiro's head.

"Oh, shut up!" Toshiro all but exclaimed. But, Ren just laughed, which calmed Toshiro down somehow.

"I'm just teasing, Shiro. I couldn't resist. You just looked so cute."

"…" Still embarrassed, Toshiro looked away from Ren. But, those familiar words spoken by Harley the other day irked him for some reason.

"Hey." Ren poked Toshiro on his shoulder, and he turned back to look at her. Ren smiled her smile at him. "Thanks, Shiro. I feel a lot better now."

"It's…It's no problem." Toshiro said, not expecting to be thanked for something that small.

"Oh, and one more thing. We're not getting the bus home today."

"We're not? But you didn't take your car today. How are we getting back?"

"Harley offered to give us a lift. Isn't that nice of him?" Ren said happily.

"…" Toshiro rested his head in his hand, grumbling a little.

"He'll be here at about four, so if you wanna call the others back for a briefing about the Feathers of whatever, then do it now. And I mean text, not phone. The teacher will confiscate it until the end of class."

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

"Eh?" Ren looked up at the clock, surprised. It was 3:30. "It's the end of class already?! Man, how long was I asleep for?"

"It was a while." Toshiro answered, tearing out what he was writing in Ren's notebook and folding it to a small enough size to fit into his pocket. He definitely did not want Ren to see his notes and theories right now, especially if it was concerning the villages.

"Uuuu, why didn't you wake me?!" Ren whined. "God knows how much I've missed!"

"It's alright, Ren." The teacher went up to Ren, smiling. "I have some notes on today's lesson, and I recorded the whole thing on my Dictaphone. Hold on, I'll transfer it to your memory stick now."

"Thanks so much, miss! You're a lifesaver!" Ren said happily, handing the teacher her memory stick. The teacher went to her desk and sat at her computer, clicking a few times and inserting a cable and the memory stick. Ren, meanwhile, packed away her text book and notebook before standing up, slinging her bag on her shoulder.

"Well, that's a relief, isn't it, Shiro? Plus, Harley's girlfriend did this subject a few years ago, too. I can ask if she'll help me out."

"…" Toshiro's eyes narrowed at the sound of Harley's name. Why did it anger him so much? He didn't get it. "Is there anything Harley can't do?" Toshiro muttered to himself.

"I don't think there is!" Ren said, hearing what Toshiro said. "He's so strong and dependable! And he's stood up to bullies tonnes of times for me! He's caring! He's kind! He's just the best person ever!" Ren threw her arms up in the air after saying this. Toshiro felt himself getting annoyed the more Ren described him. He was starting to look more and more perfect.

"You really like him, don't you?" Toshiro said as Ren retrieved her memory stick from her teacher, bowing a little out of habit.

"I don't just like him." Ren looked at Toshiro, smiling her usual cheerful smile. "I love him!"

"Rrrr!" Toshiro growled out of frustration.

…

"I'm telling you, something is off with that guy." Toshiro insisted to the unconvinced Soul Reapers and humans, minus Ren, who were all stood in the common room while Toshiro talked at them from the kitchen area. Steph and Nathan had long ago lost interest, and were tapping at their phones.

"And you're basing this on…" Ichigo trailed off.

"I don't need to base it on anything. Nobody could possibly be that perfect."

"Toshiro, you're being ridiculous." Steph said without looking up from her phone. "Damn it, I can never get that last pig."

"Captain Hitsugaya, you want to know what we think?" Renji asked.

"What?" Toshiro asked, allowing Renji to speak.

"Well…" Renji looked at the other Soul Reapers, who all silently told him to go ahead. Renji looked back at Toshiro. "We think…you're jealous."

"Jealous?!" Toshiro repeated, recoiling back in shock. "That's ridiculous! I'm not…How can I…What?!" Toshiro finally exclaimed.

"We all think it might be jealousy." Rangiku went up to her captain, a sympathetic look on her face. "Think about it. These past few weeks, you have almost never been away from Ren's side, caring for her and protecting her. And then, this boy who's known Ren for years comes along, and suddenly, you're feeling second best. It's only natural that you'd get a little jealous."

"I'm not jealous." Toshiro insisted angrily.

"Yes, you are." Nathan said, putting his phone away.

"Stay out of it!" Toshiro snapped at Nathan.

"You're still mad at me? Give me a break." Nathan muttered, getting his phone out again.

"Well, you're not anything else, so you must be jealous." Tom said, backing up Renji and Rangiku.

"Who's jealous?" Ren asked, entering the common room. "By the way, Harley will be here in a few minutes."

"Great! I can't wait to meet him!" Rangiku said, clapping her hands together and completely forgetting about the fact that her captain was mad at him.

"Ren, back me up here." Toshiro said, going up to Ren. "Renji and the others think I'm jealous of Harley. Could you tell them that they're wrong?"

"Uhhhh…" Ren started, looking away. All of a sudden, the kettle in the kitchen looked very interesting.

"Ren?" Toshiro said, noticing her hesitation.

"Shiro…uh…" Ren scratched her face, trying to think of the right thing to say. "Look, you know you're one of my closest friends, right?"

"Yes. What's your point?" Toshiro asked impatiently.

"Well…How should I put this?...I think the guys have a point."

"You're not serious, are you?" Toshiro couldn't believe what he was hearing! Ren was siding with them?! He was not jealous of Harley!

"Yeah, I mean, I don't usually agree with Renji, but this time…"

"I'm going out for some air." Toshiro said briskly, turning around and walking out of the common room.

"Shir…" Ren trailed off when she realised Toshiro was already gone. "Pfft. Well, somebody's been bitten by the jealousy bug."

"I heard that!" Toshiro's voice yelled from outside.

"Eheheh." Ren laughed nervously. "I'll er…I'll just give you a minute." Ren snapped her fingers. "Ah, that's right! I've gotta return a book at the school library! Sorry, guys! I'll be right back. This will only take a second." Ren trotted out of the common room again. "Damn, I always forget stuff like this. Well, Harley's gonna be here, so it's not like I'm gonna miss the bus or anything."

…

"I can't believe they're against me, their own captain." Toshiro grumbled, sitting on the roof of the building the common room was in.

_But…they might be onto something. _Toshiro thought, looking up at the sky.

"_Think about it. These past few weeks, you have almost never been away from Ren's side, caring for her and protecting her. And then, this boy who's known Ren for years comes along, and suddenly, you're feeling second best. It's only natural that you'd get a little jealous."_

_Rangiku did have a point there._ Toshiro thought to himself. _I have been by Ren's side since the very beginning. I've barely let her out of my sight. I've protected her from White Raven and the like, I've spent time with her, I'm strong in my own right and Ren trusts me. But, she does this with Harley, too. They're really close. He's protected her, he's cared for her. Basically, he's done everything I'm doing now. _Toshiro sighed, his head a lot clearer now that he was calmer and rational enough to think through this situation he had found himself in.

"Maybe I am just jealous…" Toshiro said to nobody, admitting for what felt like the first time that he was wrong.

"Hey, what are you doing up there?"

"Hm?" Toshiro looked down in the direction of the voice. It was Harley, looking up at the roof with shielded eyes.

"Oh, it's you, Toshiro. Why are you on the roof?" Harley asked with a smile.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Toshiro said, standing up and starting to make his way down.

"Well, I do, otherwise I wouldn't have asked." Harley said, laughing a little. Toshiro jumped down from the last ledge and landed on one knee effortlessly.

"Whatever," Toshiro said dismissively, standing up.

"Wow, that was pretty cool. How did you do that? Do you know parkour or something?"

"I've always been able to do this."

"Ah." There was a silence between the two of them. "So…Is Ren here?"

"Over there." Toshiro pointed in the direction of the common room without looking at Harley.

"I don't see her there." Harley said, peering in through the glass doors without making it look too obvious.

"Then she's not there."

"Are you always like this?" Harley asked, looking back at Toshiro.

"Like what?"

"Are you always so…what's the word?...cold?" Harley asked.

"So what if I am?" Toshiro retorted, looking at Harley. Harley had lost his smile and was looking a little annoyed.

"Look, mate, I want us to get along. If you've got a problem with me, just say so."

"As a matter of fact, I do." Toshiro said, deciding to just let Harley know how he felt. That way, his irrational jealousy could be put to rest. "Don't you think you're getting a little too cosy with Ren?"

"Cosy?" Harley repeated, confused.

"Exactly. I don't care if you two have history, but I don't like it when you tease Ren like that. You may have dated in the past, but that doesn't mean you can be all lovey-dovey with her. I was standing right there, for crying out loud."

"Lovey-do…Oooooh!" Harley's smile returned. "You think we're…" Harley burst out laughing, holding his sides, much to Toshiro's confusion.

"What's so funny?" Toshiro asked, confused.

"Oh, man, that's hilarious…" Harley calmed down, but was still smiling. "Okay, I think I see what the problem here is. But, Toshiro, it's nothing to worry about. Ren and I-"

"Nyaaa!"

"!" Toshiro sharply turned around to the voice. It was Ren. And she was in trouble!

"What was that?" Harley asked, hearing the scream.

"Stay here!" Toshiro ordered, running off in the direction of the voice.

"Toshiro, wait!" Harley yelled, but Toshiro didn't hear him, and he had already gone around the corner and out of sight. "What's going on here?"

…

"Ren!" Toshiro turned the corner and finally found Ren. And she wasn't alone. There was a Feather standing on a field of grass in the school grounds, right next to the netball courts. It had a dark grey body with a pointed tail and a triangular mask covering its eyes. Its glowing green hair waved out in dreadlocks, and one such dreadlock had wrapped around Ren, and she had been lifted off the ground and floating next to the Feather's head. Ren noticed Toshiro in the distance, and she instantly felt relieved.

"Shiro, get my sword! It's over there!" Ren pointed to her right with her head, since her hands were, literally, tied. Toshiro spotted the sword and quickly made a dash for it. The Feather noticed and lashed out at Toshiro with some of its dreadlocks. Toshiro grabbed the hilt of the sword and jumped out of the way just in time. He regained his footing and glared back at the Feather.

"Ren, what's going on? Why are you still captive?"

"I don't know! I saw the Feather and I activated my Lightning Shackles, but as soon as this tentacle thingy grabbed me, they just vanished! I can't activate any of my other Shackles, either! Not even my telekinesis works!"

"Damn." Toshiro cursed. "This isn't good."

_If I may offer a theory…_ Zena's voice said in his mind.

_What? You know what's going on?_ Toshiro thought, listening to Zena. However, he wasn't distracted, since the Feather would occasionally attack him with its hair or its claws, and Toshiro dodged or blocked each time, sometimes even leaving a mark on its body with the sword.

_It's just a theory._ Zena continued. _But, I think I know a little more about these Feathers. Do you remember that Mecha Feather you faced in the park?_

_You'll have to be a little more specific._ Toshiro thought, remembering two encounters with Mecha Feathers. Is that what they were called? He'll have to ask again later.

_The one by the lake? You used the wings and the Ice Shackles for the first time?_

_Oh, I know. What about it?_

_Ren was shot with a green laser. It appeared to go right through her without doing any harm, but then, for some reason, she couldn't use her Shackles. Then, when the both of you were struck with the laser, your wings and Shackles vanished, and Ren couldn't use hers, either. I think that laser is some kind of nullification ray that cancels out Cielvian abilities temporarily. And since that hair on the Feather is the same green as the laser…_

_Then Ren is as helpless as any other human!_ Toshiro concluded. He skidded to a stop and held his sword in both of his hands.

"So all I have to do is cut her down!" Toshiro jumped up into the air, aiming straight for the Feather's head. With a yell, Toshiro brought the sword down to the Feather's neck. It made a large gash that spurted grey blood and made the Feather roar in pain, but it wasn't enough to kill it. So, Toshiro tried to cut off the dreadlocks binding Ren while the Feather was distracted. The sword just bounced right off it like they were made of rubber.

_What?_ Toshiro thought, wide eyed. The Feather roared and smacked Toshiro away with its front claw, sending him flying and slamming straight into a tree. Toshiro felt the air leave his lungs from the force of that blow, and he could taste blood. He slid down the trunk of the tree to the ground, but Toshiro was not going down that easily. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and stood up, an arm automatically going to his stomach. _Damn it. I can't cut the hair. I'll have to try something else. Maybe Kido? That might work. But, if my last fight with a Feather is anything to go by, it might just make things worse. The hair could be set on fire, and Ren is being held captive. I don't want to injure her, too._

"I have to try…" Toshiro went to clench his sword, but found there was no sword. "Wait, where is it?" Toshiro looked left and right for the sword. Nothing. Hang on…Did he drop it when that Feather hit him earlier? Toshiro cursed himself for making such a stupid mistake. He was getting rusty. Not good.

"Ren!"

"What?" Toshiro recognised that voice. It was Harley. He was running straight towards the Feather. And he had a sword in his hand. The sword Toshiro dropped!

"No, stay back, you idiot!" Toshiro yelled. But, Harley ignored him, and just kept charging towards the Feather.

"Huh?" Ren heard footsteps approaching the Feather, and that's when she saw Harley. "Harley?"

"OOOOORYAH!" Harley stabbed the Feather straight in its eye. It roared in pain, and Harley stepped back from its stamping claws as it writhed and staggered in agony. Harley immediately jumped up and grabbed the Feather by its hair. He climbed up onto its body, using the hair to make sure he didn't fall off. With one free hand, Harley tugged at the hair holding Ren until it loosened and came free. Harley caught Ren in his arms, ran across the length of the Feather's body and jumped off, landing on the ground safely.

_Incredible…_Toshiro thought, being unable to help himself but to admire Harley's bravery and skills. He had never faced a Feather before, and he didn't hesitate in saving Ren. This person really was the dependable type.

"Are you alright?" Harley asked Ren.

"I'm fine." Ren nodded with a smile.

"What did I tell you about staying out of trouble?"

"To stay out of trouble?" Ren suggested. "And I told you that trouble gets into me."

"Clearly, it does." Harley agreed, setting Ren down on the ground.

"Ren…" Toshiro was at Ren's side right away.

"Don't relax yet." Harley said, standing up and facing the Feather, which was stills staggering and roaring a little. Toshiro noticed small flakes falling off the Feather's body.

"It's almost dead." Toshiro said. "Give it a minute, and it'll die on its own."

"What is that thing supposed to be, anyway?" Harley asked, stepping in front of Ren and Toshiro. Harley glared at the Feather. "You bastard…" He said angrily, clenching his teeth. "What the hell were you doing to my sister?!" He yelled.

"Wait…what?" Toshiro said, blinking a couple times.

"Oh, screw this!" Ren clapped her hands once and shot a bolt of lightning at the Feather from her palm, making it roar even more, and it glowed white and disappeared in a burst of ashes, leaving behind a single silver Feather core.

"Ren, did you…" Harley started, turning around to face Ren and a confused Toshiro.

"Yeah, I can explain…" Ren started, her Lightning Shackles vanishing.

"Wait, hang on, hang on." Toshiro interrupted, trying to comprehend what Harley just said, bringing both his hands up to emphasise how he wanted things to slow down a little. He pointed at Ren while looking at Harley. "Did you just call Ren…your…"

"I did." Harley nodded. "I tried to explain it to you earlier, but you ran off. Probably because of that thing." Harley indicated the spot the Feather once stood.

"I thought you knew, Shiro." Ren said. "Harley is my big brother."

"Ren is…" Toshiro looked from Harley to Ren. "Your sister?" Toshiro looked back to Harley. Now that he thought about it, they did look quite similar. It wasn't obvious, but if you looked closely, there were some similarities between the two of them, like their eye colour and the bone structure of their faces. How did he not see this before?! Toshiro lost his balance and fell backwards, stunned and feeling incredibly stupid.

"Now, what was that lightning just now?" Harley asked.

"Well, it's a long story. But, basically, I have the power to kill these monsters called Feathers, and Shiro and I, along with some of our friends, are fighting against an organisation called White Raven. Oh, and Shiro is actually a Soul Reaper Captain."

"Huh. I did find it strange that we suddenly had a distant relative. And you were always special, ever since you were a little girl."

"You knew Shiro wasn't a relative?" Ren asked, surprised that her brother was taking this so well.

"No, but I figured it out. Well, that thing is gone now, so how about I take you two home?" Harley offered a hand to Ren, who took it and stood up.

"Come on, Shiro." Ren helped Toshiro to his feet.

"Harley is your brother…" Toshiro muttered. "I can't believe I was jealous…"

"Someday, you'll look back and you'll laugh at this! Ren said brightly.

"I doubt that." Toshiro responded, starting to get over the shock of that revelation. He really was worried about nothing.

"Ren, why don't you go on ahead? We'll catch up." Harley said.

"Sure thing!" Ren trotted off back to the common room, leaving the two boys alone again.

"I know what you're going to say, so don't bother." Toshiro said, breaking the silence. "I over reacted, and I'm sorry." That apology somehow felt like a knife in Toshiro's pride.

"Actually, I wasn't going to say that." Harley said. "Have you been fighting against those monsters with Ren?"

"I have." Toshiro answered. "But I'm more curious about why you can see them, too. Better yet, you almost killed one."

"I've lived with Ren my whole life. It's only natural some of her abilities might rub off on me. I've known these things have existed for ages. I see them in the distance, but I never actually saw one up close until today."

_He's just like Ichigo's little sister._ Toshiro thought, remembering the black haired Kurosaki.

"But to think that an entire organisation is involved…"

"Are you going to stop her?" Toshiro asked.

"Nah." Harley shrugged. "Ren's eighteen. She may be my little sis, but she's old enough to make her own decisions now, and she's tougher than she looks. But, I'll tell you this." Harley turned to Toshiro, a stern look on his face. "Don't get Ren hurt, you hear?"

"I have no intention of that." Toshiro said, reassuring Harley a little.

"I'm serious." Harley said, placing an arm around Toshiro's shoulders and walking back to the common room. "I'm her older brother. It's my duty to take care of my little sister. Everything I've done is to protect Ren. So, if you do anything to hurt Ren or make her cry, I'll kill you."

"If I do anything to hurt Ren or make her cry, I'll hand you the sword."

"Well, I'm glad we're at an agreement." Harley said with a smile that was so similar to Ren's yet so different at the same time. The same cheerfulness. The same sincerity. The same resolve and determination. And, the same desire to protect the people he cares about. Toshiro smiled to himself. Harley and Ren really were siblings.

…

"So you're Ren's big brother! Hi, I'm Rangiku Matsumoto!"

"Renji Abarai."

"I'm Ichigo Kurosaki."

"And I'm Rukia Kuchiki."

"Wow, you're an interesting bunch." Harley said with a smile. "Are you friends of Toshiro's?"

"Something like that, yeah." Ichigo said.

"Well, I guess today wasn't a complete disaster." Ren said as Harley and the other Soul Reapers talked, linking her hands behind her head. Rangiku suddenly tried to give Harley a friendly hug, but he quickly ducked out of the way. He was smart enough to know that one hug from Rangiku and he would probably die by suffocation. This made Ren giggle a little.

"Ren, I'm sorry if I seemed a little curt with your brother. I really had no idea. I thought he was an ex-boyfriend."

"You are forgiven. But, I told you before that I've never had a proper boyfriend, and the fact that I had a brother in the first place. Besides…" Ren smirked mischievously at Toshiro. "You can only get jealous if you have strong feelings for somebody. There's no great love without great jealousy."

"Shut up! It's nothing like that!" Toshiro exclaimed, feeling himself blush.

"Kiddiiiiing!" Ren said in a sing song voice. With a sigh, Toshiro shoved his hands in his pockets.

"So, you ready to go?" Harley asked Toshiro and Ren.

"Yeah, sure." Toshiro answered, taking his hands out of his pockets, but he didn't notice how his slip of paper from Ren's notebook fell out of his pocket. Ren, however, didn't say anything, since she noticed the folded slip of paper on the floor. While Toshiro, Harley and the others made their way out of the room, she bent down to pick it up, thinking one of her classmates dropped it. She unfolded it, hoping to find a name. Ren was silent. She recognised the handwriting. And she recognised the names on there.

"Ren, are you coming?" Toshiro asked from the door, noticing how Ren wasn't moving. He saw her reading a slip of paper. Suddenly getting a feeling of dread, Toshiro checked his pockets for his notes. They weren't there. Ren was reading them right now! Crap! "Ren, I can explain…" Toshiro started, quickly making his way back to Ren.

"Shiro…what is this?" Ren asked, a shocked look on her face.

"It's just some notes I made. Can it have it back?" Toshiro asked briskly, really not wanting to talk about this with Ren.

"No, I mean, what is it? Sixth village? Tunnel? What are you going on about? And why's Altair's name on here?" Ren asked, her voice making it sound like a demand more than a simple question.

"They're just theories." Toshiro took the paper out of Ren's hands and put it away.

"Theories or not, I can tell it's about the villages. What are you doing?"

"There's some kind of anniversary coming up, and nobody is telling me what it's for, so I'm finding out for myself."

"Anniversary? What are you talking about?" Ren asked, confused.

"Hold on, you don't know about it?" Toshiro asked.

"No, I don't. There is no anniversary, and there is no reason why you should get involved in village affairs."

"There is something going on, Ren. And I'm going to find out what."

"Normally, I wouldn't stop you, but this time, I can't sit idly by. He who eats with the devil must have a long spoon. In other words, keep your distance from the village heads. It's easy to get caught in one of their traps."

"I appreciate your concern, but it's unnecessary. I've investigated conspiracies before, so this is nothing new. I know what I'm doing."

"Shiro, I'm not asking you, I'm telling you." Ren said, her face becoming sterner. "If you get in trouble with the village heads, then I won't be able to bail you out." This statement was enough to get Toshiro's attention. "I'm serious. The head families are not an enemy you want to have. Trust me, I'm part of them. If you get a summons from them, that's it. I won't be able to help you. In fact, I'll be in the courtroom when they try you. They might go easy on you, since you're in the head families, too, but there's no guarantee."

"…" Toshiro said nothing. Was what he was doing really that wrong? He was just investigating. It wasn't affecting anybody. Unless…Unless this anniversary was a lot bigger than he thought. Despite Ren's warnings, they only made him want to investigate even more.

"I know about the power the head families possess." Toshiro said. He looked at Ren, and Ren recognised the spark of determination in his eyes. "And I don't care. There is something here that needs to be uncovered. I'm not going to let a few old men scare me."

"If you say so…" Ren said quietly, unconvinced. Toshiro was just so stubborn! But, she wasn't one to go against the wishes of her friends. "But, if you need anything, I'm here for you. Okay?"

"Sure." Toshiro nodded. With a worried look on her face, Ren picked up her bag and left the common room without another word. Toshiro was left alone.

_I have less than a week left._ Toshiro thought. _A week until the anniversary. I have to find out what it's for. Redwood. The Blank Fortnight. The head families. Everything and everyone is linked to this somehow. _Toshiro clenched a fist in conviction.

"And I won't stop until I find out what!" Toshiro vowed.

And so, Toshiro Hitsugaya made a vow to expose the conspiracy of the villages.

A seemingly innocent action with no malice intended.

But…Toshiro didn't know.

He couldn't have known.

Toshiro never could have known

That the truth of the anniversary

The truth of the secret hidden village Redwood

The truth of the Blank Fortnight

Was far more horrific

And far more tragic

Than anything he had ever seen.

**There you have it! We've met Ren's big brother Harley! And, Toshiro is setting the wheels in motion for the next story arc. I like to call it The Sixth Village arc. Pretty cool name, right? So, what is the truth behind the conspiracy? What will Toshiro find out? Follow and review, and you will soon find out, only on Fate and Destiny! See you then!**


	29. One After Another

**Back again! Last time, Toshiro met Ren's big brother Harley, and resolved to solve the mystery of the Blank Fortnight, and everything in between. The question is; what will he discover?**

Chapter 27

One After Another

Marcus Conner stood in his study, staring out of the window. The sky was already starting to get dark as the sun slowly started to set. It had a perfect view of the back garden, and he could clearly see the field behind the house. He could also tell that the boards covering up the secret tunnel were gone. Somebody must have fallen in when they were walking their dog or something. Wouldn't be the first time something like that happened. After all, quite a lot of people go for walks behind their house. This was the countryside, after all. So, Marcus did and said nothing about it. He wasn't going to go door to door and ask everyone if they saw a big hole in the ground. His only concern was whether they had gone deeper into the tunnel, and found the entrance to the sixth village Redwood.

"Six years…" Marcus said quietly, a sad expression on his face. "It's been six years since that day. The sooner this is out of the way, the sooner we can get on with our lives until next year."

_Rat-a-tat_

"Hm?" Marcus snapped out of his train of thought when he heard a knocking. The door opened, and in walked Ren, still dressed in her school uniform and holding a mug in her hands.

"I brought you some tea." Ren said, handing Marcus the mug. He smiled gratefully and took it. "Made it just the way you like it."

"Thanks, sweetheart." Ren joined Marcus by his side, still wearing a happy smile.

"Mom says dinner will be ready in about ten minutes."

"Okay." Marcus said.

"Is something wrong?" Ren asked, noticing the sad tone in Marcus' voice.

"No, Ren, I'm just…" Marcus sighed. "I'm just tired."

"Well, you have been up late these past few days. Why don't you go to bed early tonight?"

"I don't think that would help."

"Are you the other tired?" Ren asked. Marcus nodded. "Ah." Pause. "Tired of what?"

"Just…there is something coming up. I've been doing it for years. But I think it's starting to take its toll on me."

"Oh." There was another pause. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"I don't think so."

"Well…Is there anything you can do?"

"I've been doing it already, but I'm starting to wonder if it's all for nothing."

"Of course not." Ren suddenly said loudly, stunning Marcus. "It must have been worth something if you've been doing it for all this time. If something is worth doing, then you should do it." Ren smiled her happy smile at Marcus. "You just do what you think is right, and I'll support it."

"…" Marcus smiled. With one arm he placed an arm around Ren's shoulders and pulled her closer to his body in a hug. "Ren…I'm glad I have you as a daughter."

"And I'm glad I have you as a dad." Ren said in kind.

"Ren, are you here?" This was the cue for Ren's mother to come into the room. A woman with short brown hair in a bob, and was a little plump but was by no means fat. "Can you get the drinks ready? Don't forget that Harley is here for a few days."

"Sure thing, mom." With that, Ren left the room. "Food's in five." Ren called as she went past Toshiro's room and down the stairs.

"Okay!" Harley called from inside his bedroom.

"I'll be right down." Toshiro left his room and started to go down the stairs.

"Hey…"

"Eh?" Toshiro stopped in the middle of the stairs and turned around. Harley was standing on the landing, and he had a very serious expression on his face that almost put Toshiro's to shame.

"Since you're from another world, I'm guessing you don't know about the anniversary."

"I know it exists, and that's it. I'm going to try and find out more about it, so if there is anything you can tell me-"

"Stop, dude."

"Huh?"

"Stop investigating, I mean. You're going to ruffle feathers that should never be ruffled."

"You might not know this, but I investigated a conspiracy that stretched farther than a couple towns. I know what I'm doing."

"Alright, have it your way. But don't ask me anything. I'm forbidden to speak of it until the seventh."

_That's this weekend…_ Toshiro thought. _I don't have long. And again, somebody is forbidden to speak about it. Is the whole village on a gag order or something?_

"I just need to warn you about one thing."

"What's that?"

"Avoid the forest."

"What forest?"

"Come here." Harley beckoned Toshiro to follow him, and Harley went back into his room. Toshiro followed him into his bedroom, which had white walls and a dark brown wicker wardrobe with a matching desk and bed. It was very tidy, which was a sharp contrast to the Squad Ten office, specifically Rangiku's corner. Harley was standing at the bedroom window, his back turned to Toshiro. "Look over here." Harley pointed out of the window. Toshiro joined Harley at his side and followed his finger. "See that clump of trees over there?"

"I think so." Toshiro said, narrowing his eyes a little. He thought he saw the trees. He saw some trees a few miles away; he just didn't know if they were _the _trees. "The one with the red leaves?"

"That's the one. And see that flock of birds flying towards it?"

"I see it." In the distance, there was a flock of black dots flying through the sky, and were heading towards the trees and towards Harley and Toshiro.

"Alright. Now, watch."

"…" Toshiro watched. The flock of birds were getting closer and closer towards the forest. They were about to pass over it. But, they suddenly split into two groups, carried on flying and reformed again once they were over the trees.

_They avoided the forest?_ Toshiro thought.

"That place is considered a bad omen to anyone living in the villages. There's just a strange vibe about it that anyone can feel. It gives you the feeling that you shouldn't enter there. Even birds are afraid to fly over that place." Harley looked to Toshiro. "Toshiro, be careful when you're investigating. The village heads are very twitchy at this time of year. And, no matter what you find, no matter where the evidence points, do not, I repeat…" Harley pointed at the forest. "Do not enter that forest. For your sake. Trust me. You do not want to find out what is in there. I went in there once, ignoring the instincts telling me not to." Harley shuddered a little. "And I…I saw things in there. Things you wouldn't believe. And things I wish I could forget. It is something that no man, woman or child, or even a Soul Reaper, should ever have to see."

"What happened there?" Toshiro asked. Harley said nothing. He simple shook his head. Toshiro growled out of frustration.

"One more thing."

"What?" Toshiro said, a little more impatient than he intended.

"Don't get Ren involved."

"I'll try not to, but I make no promises. Ren knows more about the villages than anyone I know."

"And I know just as much as she does. So ask me instead!" Harley insisted.

"But you said that you couldn't tell me. If I hit a dead end, I'll have no choice but to ask Ren."

"If Ren knew what was in that forest then she won't be able to take it!"

"I don't want her involved any more than you do, but in case you haven't noticed I'm almost at a dead end!"

"Hey, what are you two yelling about?!" Ren's voice called, making the two boys stop shouting at each other. "Get down her before dinner gets cold!"

"Coming!" Toshiro and Harley yelled at the same time. Toshiro and Harley looked at one another, not saying a word.

"I'll try to keep Ren as far away from this as possible." Toshiro promised. "And like I've said, I've done this before. And this conspiracy is hardly something that can threaten the world."

"How about something that can threaten a person's lifestyle?" This ominous statement got Toshiro's attention. "He who destroys a soul destroys the world. He who saves a soul saves the world. Do you know that?"

"Of course I do." Toshiro answered. "I'm a Soul Reaper. Saving souls is my job."

"I'm talking about living souls, not dead ones." Harley looked away from Toshiro, scratching his head. "Of course, if you want to know some…stuff, you need to go to the village hall across the road from here. That place is the key to this whole thing. And that's all I'm going to say." Harley went into his back pocket and dropped a wallet-like object on the ground. "I lost it. I can get a replacement, but you can keep it, since you found it and you're in the family."

_Lost?_ Toshiro thought, sweat dropping. _You dropped it._ Toshiro picked it up and opened it up. There was a gold circle embedded into the leather like a police badge, and there was a picture of a wolf's head surrounded by a circle of ivy occasionally dotted by flowers with six petals. The same flower that Toshiro saw in the tunnel.

"That's the seal of the Conner family." Harley explained. "It can get you access to all areas, get you discounts at businesses owned by the villages and it is also a key to secret areas. Don't lose it like I did." Toshiro could have sworn Harley gave him a secret wink just then. Toshiro understood what this meant and nodded, pocketing the seal.

"I said come on!" Ren yelled again.

"Alright, alright!" Harley quickly walked out of the room, and Toshiro slowly followed him, thinking about what Harley said. That village hall really must contain what he needs to know. But, that statement Harley said earlier still confused him.

"_He who destroys a soul destroys the world. He who saves a soul saves the world."_

_What did he mean by that? _Toshiro thought.

…

Toshiro was back at the village hall again, but he was not inside it. He was standing at the front of the entrance, and he was ready to investigate. He had even borrowed Ren's rucksack, just in case he had to take anything with him for later reading. The house Ren lived in and the house Ichigo and the others were at wasn't too far away. In fact, he had a very good view of Ren's house from the top of the hill. Toshiro looked left and right, half expecting somebody to jump out and tackle him to the ground. There was nobody in sight. Good. Toshiro went to the door and reached out for the handle, pausing for a moment just in case somebody did come out of nowhere. Although, he really hoped they didn't; he didn't want anybody seeing him with a Keroppi rucksack. After realising nobody was coming, Toshiro grasped the handle and pushed the door open. He was in the hall. In one room, there was a large, empty room with a small kitchen area next to it. Toshiro ignored that area and focused his attention on the two doors lining the corridor.

_I'll try this one._ Toshiro went to the first door he saw. He twisted the handle and opened it. There were just a few shelves full of crafting equipment, coloured card and paper, plastic toys and party gear. Nothing of importance. Toshiro cursed under his breath and closed the door, moving on to the one next to it. He opened that door. It was an office. It was very plain when compared to Ren's father's office. All it had was a plain desk, an office chair and an old-looking desktop computer, along with a couple pictures on the walls. No filing cabinet. No boxes. Even the desk didn't have any drawers in it! But, Toshiro couldn't help but notice how there were shallow indents in the carpet. And they looked fresh.

_So something was here…_ Toshiro mentally concluded. _The heads really are being more careful now._ Toshiro closed the door and held his chin in thought. _But, my instincts tell me that they are still close by. Is there another room here?_ Toshiro looked left and right. No other rooms. But, he did see that the corridor turned left at the end of the hallway, right next to a small table with a vase of flowers and a few ornaments on it. _Over there!_ Toshiro went over to the table and turned the corner. His eyes lit up. Right there, at the end of the turning, was another door. But, this one looked different. It had some key pad on the wall next to it.

_What's this thing? _Toshiro inspected the panel. It didn't have letters or numbers on it. It almost looked like a scanner. _Do I have to have ID to get in?_

"Wait…"

"_That's the seal of the Conner family. It can get you access to all areas, get you discounts at businesses owned by the villages and it is also a key to secret areas. Don't lose it like I did."_

_Maybe…_ Toshiro got the seal out of his pocket, flipping the cover up to look at it. He held up the gold plate to the scanner and waited. He heard a whirring sound, followed by a beep and a click. Wondering if the door had been unlocked, Toshiro grasped the handle and turned it. It opened without a fuss. _Yes!_ Toshiro immediately entered the room, eager to see what this room had to offer. If it had a lock on it, then it was bound to contain something important.

"It's so dark in here…" Toshiro muttered, the light of the doorway doing nothing to light up the dark room. "Where's the lights?" Toshiro felt along the walls for a light switch. He found it and clicked it on. There, Toshiro was met with a great sight. The room was rather small; about three metres wide, if Toshiro could make a guess, but it was long enough to store quite a lot. On each side of the wall, there were tables attached to the walls, and several shelves above it along with a step ladder to reach the higher ones. But, best of all, each shelf and table had dozens of files, papers, dossiers and boxes fit to bursting.

"Is this what I think it is?" Toshiro went to a nearby box and pulled out the first papers he found. They appeared to be a treasury report, and they were dated 3rd March 2006. "It is!" Toshiro put the files back in the box and looked around the room again. "This room contains everything from the Blank Fortnight! Finally, I can fill in some holes." Toshiro folded his arms, surveying the boxes. "The only problem left is where I start." Toshiro closed the door behind him and wandered deeper into the room, inspecting the labels. "Let's see…treasury, village fetes, what about school?" Toshiro pulled out a box labelled STUDENTS-KINGS from the lowest shelf and rifled through the files, trying to find something useful or incriminating. And that came in the form of a piece of paper with the sentence NOTICE OF TRANSFER written on the top. Toshiro was about to brush it off until he saw the name HARRIS.

_I know that name._ Toshiro thought. He pulled out the piece of paper, and he was right to do so. Right next to the name HARRIS was the name NATHAN.

"Nathan…" Toshiro said. "According to this, he transferred schools six months into his first year at Ren's school in 2007. I thought he was expelled." Toshiro tried to find a sign that it was fake. Nothing. This thing was genuine. Toshiro got the rucksack off his back, unzipped it and placed the sheet of paper inside it. He somehow felt that was important, especially considering the misleading information he originally had, but he didn't like the fact that it was about a person he couldn't stand.

"While I'm at it, I should get these village records, too, just for good measure." Toshiro got another box out and took out the files that had the records of the residents in each village. The bag was getting significantly heavier, but it wasn't anything Toshiro couldn't handle. "Now, let's see…" Toshiro made sure the previous two boxes were back where he found them so nobody would get suspicious and went deeper into the room. He stopped when he saw a box on a shelf a little higher up. He couldn't read most of the label, but the visible part clearly said RED, which could only mean one thing.

_There it is!_ Toshiro thought. He dragged a stepladder over, climbed up and reached up for the box. He still couldn't quite reach it. His fingers brushed up against it, but it wasn't enough to move it. He stood up on his toes, and eventually, it shifted under his fingers until he could slide it off the shelf. He almost slammed it on the table under the weight. Toshiro was glad that nobody could see him stand on his toes due to his height. Unbeknownst to him, the movement of the box made a pink notebook fall off the shelf and onto the table. Toshiro stepped off the ladder, and again, moved it back where he found it before turning his attention back to the box. After shifting through the papers for a few minutes, Toshiro realised it contained just some treasury information and accounts. Toshiro looked at the shelf he got it from. There were quite a few boxes with the word REDWOOD written on it. There was no way around it. He was going to have to go through all of them. Dragging the stepladder back, Toshiro picked up the previous box and put it back, dropping the second one on the table. This one certainly looked more promising. He found a dossier labelled THORNTON.

_That name…_ Toshiro thought, narrowing his eyes a little. _Where have I heard it before? Wait…that's it! _Toshiro remembered when Ren fell asleep in class. _Ren blurted that name out when she woke up._ Toshiro opened the file. He saw the profile of a man with a balding head, a blue shirt with white stripes and matching white collar, a black tie with a pattern of silver roses and black suspenders. _Alex Thornton. He owns a chain of businesses, the most successful one is a winery, has one child, lives in Redwood, and… _Toshiro scanned through the rest of the document, and found a section about the role that person has in the village. _He's the head of Redwood, and…the strongest? But, I thought the Conner family was the strongest. Well, this is dated six years ago. Maybe things have changed. _While Toshiro thought this, he closed the file and placed it in the rucksack.

"I'll take a list of the residents, too." Toshiro took that folder out and placed it with the others he'd collected. Suddenly, he heard a door creak open, followed by footsteps that were gradually getting louder. "Someone's coming!" Quickly, Toshiro grabbed the rucksack and threw it under a table before crawling under it himself. He shifted a few boxes that were under the table with him so that he was hidden a little more from view. Just as he was confident that he wouldn't be seen, Toshiro heard a beep and a click, followed by the door opening. He saw a pair of legs walk in, and Toshiro realised too late that he hadn't put the Redwood box back where he found it. Was this person going to find out someone else was here? The man stood in the centre of the room for a moment, and Toshiro didn't even dare to breathe for fear of being discovered, covering his mouth with his hand for good measure. After a few tense seconds, there was a thud noise above Toshiro's head, the figure turned and left the room, closing the door behind them. The footsteps started to fade away, and Toshiro heard the creak of the entrance to the hall. That person had left. Toshiro finally allowed himself to relax, letting out the breath he had been holding.

"That was too close." Toshiro sighed, crawling out from under the table. He dragged the rucksack out and practically threw it onto the table. "What did that guy bring here?" Toshiro went to area the person dumped the heavy object. It was a cardboard box he hadn't seen before. And it was labelled MEDICAL. Toshiro was tempted to go through it, but decided against it. He already had one close call, and he wasn't going to get another one. So, Toshiro zipped up the rucksack and threw it onto his back. He had enough information for now. He'd just have to go through it when he got back to his room. Toshiro opened the door, and he was about to leave when he remembered that the Redwood box was still on the table.

_I'd better put that back._ Toshiro thought. He picked up the box, climbed on the stepladder and placed the box back. He jumped down and, just as he was about to leave again, he noticed a flash of bright colour in the corner of his eye.

"Hm?" Toshiro looked at the bright colour. It was a bright pink fluffy notebook decorated with rhinestones, butterflies and flowers. It had to be the girliest book Toshiro had ever seen. Toshiro made out some silver thread in a plain pink rectangle that looped to form some words. Looking closer, it said 'My Diary'.

"A diary? What's that doing here?" Toshiro wondered out loud, reaching out to grab it out of curiosity.

…

"Ah, there it is!" Katelyn saw the village hall of Hazelford and began to walk up the path towards it. She had just come from school, as evidenced by the green jumper, white polo shirt and black trousers of her uniform. She was carrying a folder under her arm while keeping her hands in her pockets. "I can't believe Altair is sending me to put this file in that room." Katelyn opened up the file and read through the files, which were clearly medical records. "That freakin' secretary forgot to put this in the box. He's probably already there. I ought to give him a piece of my mind. We can't afford any slip ups right now." Katelyn kept grumbling to herself all the way up to the hall. She stopped just outside of it. She shut the file and closed her eyes. She opened them after a few seconds and stared at the village hall, her eyes full of sadness. "I don't think I can do this anymore. I wish… I wish somebody could uncover the truth. Then it will all be over." Katelyn clenched the cuff of her jumper. "Izzy…" She whispered.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

"What was that?" Katelyn gasped, running inside the village hall. "Are you alright?" She said quickly as soon as she got inside, and to her surprise, she saw Toshiro staggering back from around the corner and crashing into a table, knocking over some ornaments and shattering a vase of flowers in the process. "Toshiro?" Toshiro didn't respond. He just kept leaning against the table. And after taking a few cautious steps closer, Katelyn could tell that Toshiro looked absolutely terrified. His eyes were wide, he was out of breath and his face was paler then usual and dripping with sweat. "Toshiro, are you alright?" Katelyn asked again.

"?" Toshiro partially snapped himself out of his fear and looked at Katelyn, looking less scared than before.

"What happened?" Katelyn asked, her face full of concern. Toshiro said nothing, staring at her.

"I…" Toshiro started, trying to think of something to say, but he was still in shock, and his mind drew a blank. So, he muttered a quick "Gotta go!" and ran out of the building, leaving Katlyn alone and confused.

_What happened?_ Katelyn thought. _And did Toshiro come from…_ Katelyn looked around the corner and gasped. The door to the storage room was wide open.

"Oh, no." Katelyn said quietly, knowing full well what this meant.

…

"'Cos I love to make you smile, smile, smile, yes I do!" Ren sang loudly, walking towards her house while swinging her bag around. She rummaged through the pockets of her blazer for her house key. "It fills my heart with sunshine all the while, yes it does!" Ren finally found the key and smiled triumphantly. "'Cos' all I really need's a smile, smile, smile! From these happy friends of-" Ren was interrupted when her phone beeped. "Eh?" Ren got her phone out and looked at the screen after a few taps. "Aw, son of a…" Ren re-pocketed her key, turned around and walked down the street her house was on. "Baka Altair…" She turned the corner and carried on walking, but stopped when she heard hurried footsteps. "Huh? Is somebody running?" Ren turned around, and was whisked off her feet when somebody crashed into her. "Oof!" Ren landed on the ground with a thud. "Hey, are you okay?" Ren asked, sitting up. "Wait, Katelyn?" Katelyn was the person who had crashed into her, and she was brushing the dirt off her trousers.

"Sorry, Ren. I didn't see you there." Katelyn apologised, straightening her half ponytail.

"It's okay. Why were you running, though? Are you late for something?"

"No. I saw Toshiro earlier and he looked really weird. Then, he just ran off, so I chased after him. Have you seen him?"

"Uh…no. No, I haven't seen him since this morning. Is he okay?" Ren asked, suddenly concerned.

"Well, like I said, he was acting really strange."

"Define 'strange'." Ren said. After all, the situation that Toshiro and Ren were in was, by any definition, strange.

"He looked really freaked out. I don't think I've ever seen him that scared. I was just about to sort something out at the village hall, and he was there, too."

"Is that right…?" Ren said slowly.

_Shiro really is investigating the villages._ Ren thought. _No wonder he pulled a sickie this afternoon._

"Hey, what's that?" Ren asked, pointing out the folder in Katelyn's hand.

"Ah!" Katelyn gasped, realising she still had it. "Oh, nothing! Nothing!" She insisted with a smile.

"Were you dropping that off at the village hall? I can do that for you if you want." Ren offered reaching out to take it, but Katelyn quickly pulled it out of Ren's reach.

"No, no, I should do it! I have to. Altair's orders." Katelyn said quickly.

"Altair?" Ren repeated. "Well, in that case, I'll leave it with you." Ren stood up and offered a hand to help Katelyn up, which she took. "I'm not one to defy Altair's orders."

"Thanks, Ren." Katelyn said with a happy smile.

"Speaking of Altair, he's called me in for another session." Ren brushed off the rest of the dirt on her skirt. "Love to chat, but you know what that old bastard says about tardiness."

"Go easy on him." Katelyn said, concerned. "He's doing this for your own good."

"Yeah, I know, I know. It's just annoying, that's all. And he has me popping these every day." Ren shook her bottle of pills before pocketing them again. "It's a total pain in the ass."

"That's not something a girl should say." Katelyn giggled.

"Well, it is!" Ren almost exclaimed. "I don't even know what they're for." Ren turned around and started to walk away. "See you later, Katelyn."

"See ya." Katelyn gave a small wave as Ren walked away. She looked at the folder she held in her hands. She didn't want Ren to see this. It would damage her in more ways than one. After all, Ren was quite a moral person, even if she didn't always come across like that. But, she could think of another person who would want to see this.

…

Toshiro hadn't moved from his desk since he ran back from the village hall. His hand was on his head as he tried to calm himself down, but he was obviously failing, since his hand was still shaking.

"Damn…" Toshiro muttered. "What was that?" Toshiro reached an arm up to wipe away any remnants of sweat on his face, but realised something was in his hand. He looked at it. It was the pink diary he found. He had been holding onto it the entire time. It immediately reminded Toshiro of what happened at the village hall. He remembered it so clearly. The moment he touched the book, his back started to burn. And then, he suddenly felt a rush of emotions and visions flashed before his eyes so quickly, he had no idea what they were. Al he knew was the pain that came from them. And, he couldn't see anything, but he heard the sounds all too well. Screaming. Laughing. Smashing. Burning. Toshiro shook his head to get those sounds out of his mind. He stared at the diary again. It was this thing that caused those images. He didn't know what they were. And he didn't want to know. He just knew that this diary caused him to experience something that horrifying. In a sudden fit of panic, Toshiro stood up and threw the diary across the room, where it hit the wall and fell on the floor. Toshiro turned his attention to the rucksack that he threw next to his bed without a second thought. After what he just went through, he seriously wasn't in the mood to go through what he found. It would have to wait. So, Toshiro pushed the bag under the bed with his foot, pushing it as far as he could get it. He noticed how his arm was still shaking after throwing that damned book, so he clenched it with his other hand and forced it to lower down to his side again

"Bad day?"

"?" Toshiro turned back around to his desk. Zena had appeared, dressed in Ren's school uniform and sitting on the chair. "Bad doesn't even begin to describe it."

"I know you had a vision, Toshiro." Zena said, getting straight to the point. "I can tell by the look on your face."

"…" Toshiro looked away from Zena, and she took that as confirmation that she was right.

"Whatever is happening in the future, it's big, especially if your reaction is anything to go by."

"Right." Toshiro muttered. He could remember how he had suddenly screamed and staggered out of the room, smashing a vase in the process. And Katelyn saw him to boot. How embarrassing. Wait, Katelyn? "Oh, damn! I left the door to the storage room open!"

"Katelyn closed it." Zena said, bringing Toshiro's attention back to her. "But, I don't think she's going to tell anyone that she saw you. In fact, she wants this conspiracy you're investigating to end."

"Really? How do you know that?"

"I overheard Katelyn talking to herself outside. I heard her clearly say 'I wish somebody would uncover the truth.' I don't know what her reasons are, but she might be a good ally in this investigation of yours."

"Right." Toshiro nodded. At least now he had a few more leads, the rest of which were hidden under a bed.

"Now, about those visions…"

"Forget it." Toshiro said bluntly, folding his arms. "I don't know what I saw in the village hall. Hell, I heard things more than saw them."

"…" Zena narrowed her eyes a little. "Is it that you don't know…or that you don't want to know?"

"It's…" Toshiro started, but found himself trailing off, unable to finish his sentence.

"Toshiro, this is important. Your personal feelings can't get in the way. I know this. Believe me, I've seen Ryuki react like this to some visions, but no matter what, he would try and recollect what he saw. Do you know why? Because it was his duty to Cielvia and to me. And you have a duty to your world, your friends…and to Ren."

"…" After hearing Ren's name, something inside Toshiro clicked. Zena was right. Even if he didn't want to experience those visions again, he knew that he had to. It may be linked to this mystery, after all. "Fine." Toshiro looked back at Zena. "But I'm telling you, I really don't remember what I saw. It all happened so quickly."

"I can help with that." Zena stood up from the chair and stood in front of Toshiro before she placed a hand on his head. Again, Toshiro was surprised when he could feel the warmth and solidness of her hand as if she were in a physical body. Toshiro could faintly see a white light around her hand.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm aware of how your back burns when in a Cielvian presence. I'm going to use my healing power to lessen the pain."

"I see…"

"Because you encountered a powerful Cielvian descendant like Ren, your body reacted to her presence, and you got Ryuki's powers earlier than you should have. As Epona said, you would have obtained his powers, and his markings, when you reached the same technical age as him. So, since you lack the markings, your back now burns whenever there is a Cielvian force nearby. The stronger the force, the stronger the burning."

"How do you know all this?" Toshiro asked, suspicious about how she would know so much about something that has never happened before. But, it did confirm that theory he came up with. Though he can't say he was looking forward to how it would feel when faced with a particularly strong Cielvian presence, especially if that force he felt in Redwood's tunnel was anything to go by.

"I didn't." Zena said with a shrug and a smile. "I just figured it out."

"Riiiight." Toshiro said slowly, finding yet another trait Ren and Zena had in common. "And you do realise I'm almost ten times as old as Ryuki, right?"

"I know, I know, that's why I said technical age." Zena said dismissively, waving her other hand airily. "Anyway, we should get started on finding out what you saw. Are you ready?"

"I guess." Toshiro grumbled, still a little reluctant to see the visions again.

"Good. Now, I want you to shut your eyes. Just trust me." Zena said the last part as an afterthought, still sensing some form of reluctance in Toshiro. Toshiro obeyed and closed his eyes, but not without giving off a groan of complaint, which made Zena roll her eyes out of amusement. "Toshiro, I want you to think back to that moment you had those visions. Don't focus on anything else. Remember the instant those images flashed before your eyes. Remember what you thought. What you felt. Focus on those moments and those moments only."

"Uh-huh." Toshiro muttered. After a few seconds, Zena saw his eyes twitch ever so slightly, so the healing glow around her hand increased until the twitching stopped.

"Do you see anything?"

"I think so." Toshiro answered.

"What can you see? Tell me."

"I see…spiders."

"Spiders?" Zena repeated.

"And…something else…Something…What is that?...AAAAAAH!" Toshiro suddenly staggered back from Zena's hand and collapsed onto his bed, hitting his head on the wall in the process.

"Toshiro! Are you alright?" Zena asked, not expecting that reaction out of Toshiro.

"I'm fine." Toshiro grumbled, sitting up while rubbing his head.

"What happened?"

"I don't know I…I guess those visions caught me off guard a little."

"Do you remember what you saw?"

"Yes, I do. And I know I saw them a few days earlier, too."

"What?" Zena gasped. "Toshiro, tell me what your visions were."

"Right. They were…" Toshiro glanced away for a moment as he tried to recollect his thoughts. "Spiders… A jagged R…Shattered glass… Bubbles underwater…And blood being splattered on tree trunks."

"Anything else?" Zena asked. Toshiro nodded, a grave look on his face.

"Buildings collapsing. Fire; a lot of it. And, standing in the flames…a girl."

"A girl?" Zena repeated. "Do you know who she is?"

"I'm not sure. I didn't get a look at her face. But, she had long blonde hair, and she wore the lower school uniform of Ren's school. I think she was about eleven years old, maybe twelve."

"So it seems that the next step is to find this girl and warn her about the future if you wish to change it."

"Looks like it." Toshiro agreed. "But there are hundreds of students at that school. The girl I saw could be any of them."

"You'll find her, Toshiro." Zena reassured smiling. "And you will uncover this conspiracy. I know you will."

"Thanks, Zena. But right now, I'm not sure what I'm doing. It seems that every time I find something, I just dig more holes." Toshiro ran his fingers through his hair with a sigh. "This is just one mystery after another."

"Toshiro…" Zena said quietly.

"Shiro?! You here?!"

"Ren's back." Toshiro said, recognising the voice and the nickname.

"Be careful, Toshiro."

"I will." With that, Zena vanished, and moments after, the door to Toshiro's room opened, and Ren came in.

"Ah, there you are! Hey, you look weird. You're not ill, are you?" Ren asked, her face quickly going from cheerful to worried.

"I feel a little weird." Toshiro answered, and he was telling the truth. Those visions he had kept giving him a headache. Were they meant to be this vivid?

"Aw, man! And here I thought you were playing hooky! I'll stick the kettle on." With that, Ren trotted out of the room and downstairs.

"That's not a solution to anything!" Toshiro called down the stairs, leaning over the banister a little.

"I'm British! It's everyone's solution to everything!" Ren called back, and Toshiro could faintly hear the kettle being switched on and starting to boil.

"Geez…" Toshiro sighed, scratching his head.

_Driiiiiiiing!_

"Shiro, can you get that?"

"Okay." Toshiro went down the stairs to answer the door, noticing how he couldn't see anybody through the bobbly window. He opened the door to find…nothing. There was nobody at the door. Thinking they had been ding-dong ditched, Toshiro looked left and right for a sign of anybody. "Is someone there?" He called out. "Hello?" No answer. A breeze passed through, and Toshiro heard a fluttering sound from beneath him. "Hm?" He looked down. There was a brown folder on the doormat. Toshiro picked it up, suspicious. He opened up the folder, and the first thing that caught his eye was the hastily written pencil message on the inside of the folder. It read 'Keep this to yourself!' Toshiro inspected the first sheet of paper in the file. It was dated 2006. The same year as the Blank Fortnight. And the date was not too long after that fortnight, either. Whatever this was, it was some valuable information. Quickly, Toshiro went back inside the house. Unbeknownst to him, Katelyn was hiding just around the corner of the house.

_That should help you._ Katelyn thought. She started to walk away from Ren's house. _This is all I can do. I just hope he stays away from the forest. Toshiro…please…end this._

…

"Hey, who was at the door?" Ren asked, pouring some water into a mug.

"Oh, uh, nobody." Toshiro lied, hiding the folder inside his jacket and keeping it tucked under his arm without Ren noticing. "It was a prank."

"Wow, I didn't think people still did that." Ren tapped the excess liquid off a teaspoon inside the mug before setting it on a saucer full of old teabags. "There's your tea, Shiro."

"Thanks. By the way, you were a little late getting home today. Did something happen?"

"Altair happened." Ren said, disgruntled.

"Is he really that bad?"

"Have one conversation with him and find out."

"Did you have another session with him?"

"I think so."

"Huh?" Toshiro raised an eyebrow, confused. "You think so?"

"Yeah. Every time I see Altair, I always forget about our meetings. I don't remember what happens or what we talk about." Ren said without realising how unusual what she just said really was. Ren walked past Toshiro and out of the kitchen. "If you want me I'll be in my room."

"Sure." Toshiro picked up the mug of tea and took a quick swig. For some reason, he felt a lot less dizzy, and his headache had subsided a little. "I guess the British were onto something." Toshiro thought up loud, heading back towards the stairs.

_But what Ren said earlier does bother me._ Toshiro thought. _She can't remember her meetings with Altair? Just what is she seeing him for? Doe she hypnotise her?_

"And then there's this…" Toshiro took the folder out from his jacket and dropped it on his desk. "This must be valuable information if somebody dropped it off with that message." Toshiro placed a hand on the folder. "Did Katelyn leave it? Well, Zena did say she was sick of this conspiracy. It wouldn't be strange if she did." Toshiro picked up the folder and put it inside a desk drawer quickly, just in case somebody happened to walk in on him. He'll have to look at it later. "In any case, I should ask Ren about her meetings with Altair, and see what else she can tell me about the year 2006. And that's all I'm going to do." Toshiro walked out of his room and towards Ren's.

"I can't stop now. I haven't stopped for six years."

"Six years?" Toshiro repeated, overhearing a voice. It was Ren's father. And it was coming from his study. Toshiro quickly poured the rest of his tea into a nearby house plant and put it up against the door, listening in.

"I know you can't, but haven't we left her in the dark long enough?"

_That sound like Ren's mother._ Toshiro thought, recognising the other voice.

"Sometimes, I just feel like we need to tell her the truth." Ren's mother continued.

"Why? So she can relive every horrible moment in her head? You know how active her imagination is. It's better that she can't remember."

_Who are they talking about?_ Toshiro thought, narrowing his eyes a little.

"Yes, but she's not a child anymore. She's bound to remember own her own eventually."

"And that's why she's seeing a psychiatrist."

"She's still a smart person. She'll figure it out. And then there's this…gift. She will remember."

"And then they'll take her away and lock her up again. I don't want that to happen. None of us do. That's why we started this in the first place. We have to keep everything secret, no matter what."

"…" Toshiro remained silent, thinking that this was making more mysteries than it was solving. Suddenly, he heard footsteps. Without making a sound, Toshiro backed away from the door and hid inside another room just as the study door opened. Toshiro remained out of sight as Ren's parents walked out of the study, past the room he was hiding in and down the stairs, but he could still hear them talk as they walked.

"This is all too much. I'm not sure I can keep this up anymore."

"I feel the same way, love. But this is for her own good."

"Every time I lie to her, I feel dreadful. Ren hates it when people lie."

"Ren?" Toshiro said quietly. Were they talking about her? He snuck out of the room he was hiding in, walked quietly to the stair banister and leaned over a little to hear their conversation a little better.

"I know how she feels. There's nothing we can do."

"But, I think she's going to remember soon. She has that gift of hers. And then there's…"

"Don't worry. Ren's a tough girl. She can take care of herself."

"We're her parents. That doesn't stop us from worrying."

"I know, dear. I know."

"I've never seen one before, but it can't be easy for Ren to fight these Feathers."

"!" Toshiro let out a gasp and stumbled back until he hit the wall. "They know…" He muttered, his eyes shining and wide with shock. "They know about the Feathers." Toshiro dropped his mug on the carpeted floor, but he didn't notice or even hear it drop. He ran off straight to Ren's room and burst into it without knocking. "Ren! You're not going to believe what I just heard!"

"What is it?" Ren asked, her yellow t-shirt halfway on her body and the belt of her jeans undone. After realising what he had just walked in on, Toshiro instantly turned red in the face.

"Sorry!" He blurted out quickly, before literally jumping out of Ren's room and closing the door behind him, leaning on it as if to make sure it was closed. He wasn't even thinking when he ran into Ren's room! But, he was more concerned about Ren's reaction to his barging in. Just as Toshiro was thinking about this, he heard Ren's door click, and he backed away from it so that Ren could come out, now fully dressed.

"You were saying?" Ren asked, as if what just happened never happened.

"Ren…" Toshiro started, unable to comprehend Ren's completely indifferent attitude. "I just walked in on you getting dressed." He said slowly.

"And?" Ren asked, an innocent look on her face.

"Well…Aren't girls supposed to scream and call the boy who walked in a pervert?"

"?" Ren cocked her head to the side, genuinely confused.

"What I'm saying is, guys aren't supposed to see girls in their underwear." Toshiro explained, starting to feel himself get exasperated.

"And what are bikinis if not underwear you can swim in?" Ren asked simply.

"?" Now it was Toshiro's turn to look confused.

"Look, I don't get why girls are so fussy about being seen in their underwear. Birthday suits, I can understand, but underwear?" Ren shrugged with a sigh. "It's completely ridiculous. I mean, underwear and swimsuits look exactly the same. The only difference is that one is more suited to swimming than the other."

"That makes sense." Toshiro said slowly. Ren's logic never ceased to amaze him.

"And you didn't mean to walk in on me, did you?"

"…" Toshiro shook his head.

"Then there's no need to make a big deal about it!" Ren said cheerfully, complete with her signature smile.

"I guess…" Toshiro said, looking away. He was so embarrassed about walking in on her, he had completely forgotten what he was going to say. So, he thought about what he did before this conversation occurred. He was going to tell Ren something important. He saw her getting dressed. This conversation occurred.

_Hang on…_ Toshiro thought, thinking back to walking in on Ren again. He hadn't noticed before, but there was something on Ren's left upper arm. A white cloth bandage.

"Ren, did you injure yourself?" Toshiro asked.

"I don't think so." Ren answered. "Why?"

"I saw a bandage on your left arm. Right here." Toshiro pointed at the designated area on his own arm. Ren rolled up her sleeve to get a look at her arm. Toshiro was right. There was indeed a white bandage around her left arm. "Oooooh, that."

"Did you get hurt?" Toshiro asked again.

"Uuuuuuuhhhh…I 'unno." Ren shrugged.

"You don't know?" Toshiro said flatly.

"Nope." Ren shook her head.

"You must know if you got injured enough to get a bandage. Here, let me have a look at it." Toshiro reached out to undo the knot.

"No!" Ren slapped Toshiro's hand away without warning, surprising both of them. "I mean, no. I can't let you take it off. I was told not to."

"Who told you?"

"I don't know. I just can't let anybody else touch it."

"Well…can you?" Toshiro asked, thinking he had found a loop hole.

"Yeah, I can."

"So why don't you take it off?"

"I don't see why not." Ren tugged at the knot on her bandage, and as soon as it loosened, Ren started to unwrap it, while Toshiro never took his eyes away from it. After a few seconds, the rest of the bandage feel away, leaving Ren's arm bare. Ren twisted her body enough so that Toshiro could see what was underneath that bandage. He let out a sharp gasp. There on Ren's arm was the letter R, and it had evidently been carved into her arm.

_That scar…_ Toshiro thought. _It's the same one in my vision!_

"When…Where did you get that scar?"

"I don't know." Ren said. "I've had it for a while now, and of all the scars I've got, that's the only one I know nothing about. But..." Ren looked away, a sad look in her eyes; a rarity for somebody like her, and that was what compelled Toshiro to listen closely. "Every time I look at it, I feel…ashamed. And humiliated. Like this mark was some kind of punishment, or maybe a lesson. So, I was told to keep it under a bandage, and I was the only one who could take it off. But, just to be sure, I try to wear clothes that cover my arms. Because that feeling I get when I look at it, even if it's just a glance…I hate it."

"I didn't know." Toshiro said quietly, feeling guilty for bringing it up. Although, it did make logical sense. Ren did seem to wear a lot of clothes that covered most of her arms, and on the one occasion she didn't, Toshiro didn't care as much for Ren as he did now to even notice the bandage was there.

"So, is that what you wanted to see me about?" Ren asked, starting to wrap the bandage around her arm again.

"Right!" Toshiro snapped back to attention, remembering why he was there. "Ren, do you know if anything significant happened in the year 2006?"

"No idea." Ren answered right away.

"Okay, uh…" Toshiro tried to make the question a bit broader. "Do you know if anything unusual happened in 2006?"

"No idea." Ren said again without a moment's hesitation, tugging on the ends of her bandage with one hand and her teeth afterwards. Toshiro was silent for a couple seconds, stunned at her answers.

"Do you know if anything happened in 2006?" Toshiro asked cautiously.

"Nope." Ren shook her head, pulling her sleeve over the bandage, covering it up again. "I have no idea what happened in 2006."

"You don't?"

"Nuh uh." Ren said simply, not looking the least bit bothered by her memory loss. "All I know is that I started year seven, and that's it. It was just an ordinary year. I don't remember a lot about it, but I don't mind. I mean, if I can't remember, then it must have been pretty boring, right?"

"Yeah...sure…" Toshiro said hesitantly. Ren not remembering something was unusual for her. She usually remembered whatever happened in the village whenever it happened.

"Is that what you wanted to tell me? You sounded really, what's the word, alarmed when you came into my room."

"Oh, that's it!" Toshiro had remembered the second and most important reason why he ran to Ren. "Ren, your mother and father know about the existence of Feathers!"

"What?!" Ren gasped, wide eyed.

"And they know that you're fighting them! They've known for a long time! I heard them talking about it just now!"

"Oh, no. Oh, no no no no nononono!" Ren said quickly, jumping from one foot to the other and flapping her hands. "This isn't good! I gotta talk to them!" Ren walked past Toshiro briskly.

"Wait!" Toshiro grabbed Ren's arm, stopping her.

"Huh?" Ren turned around to look at Toshiro. "What's wrong?"

"Well…maybe we should keep this between us for now. Your parents have been…busy these past few days. Telling them something like this…well, that would cause unnecessary stress, don't you think?" Toshiro explained, making sure that he chose his words carefully.

"Ah, that's a good point." Ren agreed, shrugging Toshiro's grip off her arm. "You're so smart, Shiro!"

"Well, I do try." He said with a modest shrug, trying to lighten the mood a little. First Ren had a mysterious scar on her arm, then she had little recollection of the year 2006, and now her parents know about what she's been doing? This was starting to get messed up. But, since Ren clearly didn't know about the anniversary, it gave Toshiro a good excuse to keep her out of his investigating. And that's the way he intended to keep it.

…

"Back again, Toshiro? Ren tells me you had a cold." Ren's form teacher said.

"Uh…yeah. I'm all better now." Toshiro said, going along with what the teacher said.

"Forgot to tell you. Sorry." Ren whispered sheepishly.

"Well, good. Now, on with the register." The teacher went on with her business, leaving Toshiro and Ren alone together.

"You're still investigating, aren't you?" Ren asked in a hushed voice. Toshiro confirmed Ren's question with a nod. "Geez…Well, keep away from the village heads, especially Altair, is that clear?"

"Crystal."

"Alright."

"You're really not going to stop me?" Toshiro asked.

"Nope." Ren shook her head.

"Well…thank you."

_While I'm here, I'll be able to interrogate Ren's friends about this anniversary. _Toshiro thought. _None of them know that I'm telepathic, so if they're lying, I'll know._

"So, Ren, I've got to know…" Toshiro looked directly at Ren, and Ren looked back, wearing her usual blank expression. "Does the name Redwood really mean nothing to you?"

"Nope. It doesn't mean anything." Ren answered.

"…" Toshiro narrowed his eyes a little, focusing on reading her thoughts.

"_Redwood? That's not something I've heard of."_

_Good._ Toshiro thought. _I can still read minds. This shouldn't be a problem._

"Right, that's the register taken care of. Your first lesson is in five minutes. I suggest you head off now."

"Yosh." Ren hoisted her bag on her shoulder. "Shiro, we have free period first, so I'm going to the library. You go ahead and do your thing."

"Yeah." Toshiro said, not really paying attention. Toshiro sat down at a table in the form room and waited until everybody had left. When he was certain he was the only one in the room, Toshiro went into his pocket and got out the sheet of paper he had been writing on the other day. He got out a pen, pulled off the lid with his teeth and started to write, spitting the pen lid out on the table.

_So far, I found out that Nathan transferred schools the year after the anniversary, when I was originally led to believe that he was expelled after Ren ratted him out to the staff. _Toshiro wrote Nathan's name among the many other names and notes he had written down. _And then there's that tunnel. I went there yesterday before going to the village hall, and I went down the path leading to Redwood._ Toshiro glanced at his back. _My back burned again, but I just ignored it and carried on. _Toshiro went back to writing. _But, when I got there…the entrance was completely sealed off. It was blocked with rubble and debris. There was no way I was getting in there. So, the only entrance I know is gone. I'll have to find some other way to get inside._

"I'll have to go through those files I found, too." Toshiro said to himself. "It will be risky, but I might have to make another trip to that room." Toshiro's fingers intertwined with his hair. "Then there's that damn diary. Why was that there?" Toshiro's mind instinctively thought back to the visions he had, which he found extremely difficult to push to the back of his mind, simple because what he saw, what he heard, and even what he smelt, were still etched deeply into his memory.

_No!_ Toshiro closed his eyes and shook his head. _Stop thinking about it!_ Toshiro grabbed the notes he made and stuffed them back into his pocket, standing up and recapping his pen at the same time. _Time to get started._

"Zena?" Toshiro said. "Are you here?" No sooner did he say this, Zena appeared by his side.

"Did you call?"

"I have something I need you to do. I want you to find any twelve year old girls at this school with long blonde hair."

"You're looking for the girl in your vision, aren't you?" Zena asked. Toshiro nodded. "You know that if you warn her about the future she probably won't believe you, right?"

"I have to try. I already failed to prevent the future once…" This comment immediately made Toshiro think back to the Nathan incident, making Toshiro clench his hand into a fist. "And I don't want that to happen again."

"Very well." Zena vanished, and Toshiro was alone again. But, he soon left the common room and walked down the corridor. He had his own job to do.

…

"Only a few more days." Tom sighed, slouching in the blue chairs of the common room. Steph and Nathan were there with him, and they both had solemn looks on their faces.

"I think a lot of people are having doubts about this cover up." Steph said. "Especially Katelyn. I don't think I've ever seen her like this."

"…" Toshiro said nothing, staring into the common room through the window, yet he went unseen.

"I'm sure she'll be back to normal after all this is over." Nathan said, trying to reassure and cheer up Steph and Tom.

"Yeah, but she's not the only one I'm worried about. Toshiro has been snooping around recently. He might find out about Redwood."

_He said it!_ Toshiro thought. He focused on Tom, trying to read his thoughts.

"_I hope Toshiro doesn't tell Ren about Redwood."_

_So he's lying. _Toshiro thought. _What about Stephanie?_ Toshiro turned his attention to Stephanie.

"Not so loud." Steph said in a hushed voice. "Somebody might hear us. And Redwood has never existed, remember?"

"_And that's the way I intend to keep it. Nobody must find out about Redwood's existence."_

_That's two. Now… _Toshiro looked directly at Nathan, ready to read his thoughts, even though he loathed the idea of getting into his head. But, considering the fact that his file was in the secret room, Toshiro decided going onto Nathan's mind was worth it to uncover the truth.

"What are you talking about, Steph? That's a lie. Redwood exists."

"…" Toshiro started to go into Nathan's thoughts.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

"Eh?" Toshiro stepped back from the door. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. It didn't make any sense!

"Oh. Toshiro, why are you spacing out here?" Steph said with a smile as she left the common room. "Come on, it's break time. Let's go to the cafeteria."

"Uh…sure." Toshiro said hesitantly, still reeling a little from what he had just heard. Steph, Tom and Nathan went ahead while Toshiro followed them slowly.

"Toshiro…" Zena started appearing by Toshiro's side and hovering next to him as he walked. "I just went all over the school grounds. I couldn't find a girl matching your description. There are no year sevens with long blonde hair." Toshiro said nothing. "So what did you find out?" Again, no response. Zena floated directly in front of Toshiro. "Hey, are you listening to me?"

"Sorry, what?" Toshiro said, snapping out of his daze. Zena rolled her eyes with a groan.

"I said that I couldn't find any year sevens girls with long blonde hair. You won't believe how many students here have brown hair."

"Damn." Toshiro cursed. "Are you sure you didn't find anybody?"

"I even went to the athletic grounds, and nothing. You must have been mistaken."

"I don't make mistakes like that." Toshiro said impatiently.

"Hey, what's got your knickers in a twist, then?"

"What?" Toshiro said, looking directly at Zena with a puzzled expression on his face,

"Oh, it's just a saying I heard some of these people say. It's amazing how different the British are from others."

"What do you want to know?" Toshiro asked, trying to get Zena back on track. It was so amazing yet so annoying how similar Ren and Zena were.

"Right, right. So, why are you acting so short tempered? Well, you're always short tempered, but you're a lot shorter tempered than usual."

"I'm just confused."

"About what?" Zena asked, landing on the ground and walking next to Toshiro, her footsteps tapping the ground like she was a solid person.

"I just interrogated Ren and her friends. Tom and Stephanie are obviously lying, because while they denied the existence of Redwood out loud, their thoughts said otherwise."

"You're reading their minds? Isn't that an invasion of privacy?"

"I don't want to hear that from a ghost that can go through walls."

"Eheheh." Zena laughed sheepishly. "You got me there."

"Anyway, Nathan said that Redwood does exist, and his thoughts said that, too. But, this is where it gets confusing."

"Oh?" Zena leaned closer towards Toshiro.

"I asked Ren is she heard of Redwood, and she said she hadn't. She's a member of the head families, so if anyone knows about the villages, it's her. I read her mind, and it said exactly the same thing."

"What are you saying?" Zena asked. Toshiro stopped walking just outside of the cafeteria doors. He leaned on the wall, his eyes staring at his shoes and his hands in his pockets.

"I'm saying that what Ren and Nathan said and thought both match, yet what they said are complete opposites. One denies Redwood's existence, yet the other confirms it." Toshiro placed a hand on his head, unable to get around this fact. "They're both telling the truth."

"…" Zena was silent, contemplating this situation. She folded her arms and tapped her foot a couple times. For some reason, Toshiro could hear her foot tapping all too clearly, despite her being a spirit. "I think I know why."

"You do?" Toshiro shot his head up to look at Zena, eager to put this mystery to rest.

"I don't think Ren is one to lie, do you?"

"Trust me; if she lied, I'd know."

"And Nathan was telling the truth, correct?"

"Oddly, yes."

"I think we're dealing with a case of amnesia."

"Amnesia?" Toshiro repeated.

"Precisely." Zena nodded. "Remember when Ren told you she had little to no memory of the year 2006?"

"Yes?"

"What if something happened to Ren that made her forget about the existence of another village?"

"You think that's possible?"

"You sensed the Cielvian presence on the edge of Redwood. At this point, I think it's safe to assume that there are Cielvian forces at work here."

"Speaking of Cielvian forces…" Toshiro started, turning his attention to the cafeteria entrance.

"Toshiro?"

"There's something Cielvian in there." Toshiro pushed the doors open and went straight inside. Zena remained outside for a while, still thinking this situation over.

_I get the feeling something much bigger is involved._ Zena thought. _I've recently been getting the feeling something happened to me six years ago._ Zena narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. _But what? I'll have to find out._ With that thought lingering in her mind, Zena disappeared.

…

"Hey, guys! What took ya?!" Ren said cheerfully, complete with her signature smile.

"Sorry, sorry." Steph apologised with a smile. "We uh…we were helping Nathan with his homework. You know how hopeless he is."

"Hey!" Nathan nearly exclaimed, mildly insulted.

"None of the Soul Reapers are here, then." Ren said, looking behind her for a red pineapple, an orange carrot top, a buxom woman or a petite girl, but nothing. Even Toshiro wasn't there. "And where's Shiro?"

"He'll catch up." Tom reassured Ren.

"Yeah, I guess. And I suppose the others are patrolling the area for Feathers. I did sense a few appearing today, but I guess they took care of them."

"Enough chit chat. Let's get some food!" Steph exclaimed, marching towards the tills.

"Come on, Nathan. I'll buy you a donut." Tom said.

"I don't even like donuts." Nathan complained.

"True, but there's a cute girl serving them."

"Outta my way!" Nathan was promptly gone and at the counter, while Tom chuckled and calmly followed him.

"Womaniser." Ren grumbled, starting to sympathise with Toshiro about why he didn't like Nathan. But nonetheless, she followed Steph and the boys towards the tills and the smell of food. Ren shielded her eyes from the sudden glare of the sun. She looked to her right at the high windows lining the cafeteria. The sun was shining particularly bright today, and it was too bad those windows didn't have curtains while the ones lower down and lining the lower wall of one cafeteria wall did. The sun didn't even shine there! Ren heard laughter among the chatter of students and the clinking of cutlery on plates. But, it wasn't friendly or joyful. It was mocking. Ren stopped walking, still staring up at the windows.

"Huh?" Tom noticed how Ren had stopped walking. "Hey, Ren, you alright?"

"…" Ren didn't hear Tom talking to her. All she could hear was the sound of mocking laughter. Then, a crack. Ren could see cracks forming on the windows flowed by a deafening shatter. The windows lining the canteen, and the windows lower down, had suddenly shattered. The shards were slowly…slowly…falling to the ground. But, nobody reacted. Not even Ren. She just stared up at the glass-less windows, her eyes widening slowly. She had never seen anything like this before. Yet, she also felt like it was familiar at the same time.

"Ren!"

"!" Ren gasped and turned to the source of the voice. Toshiro was right there by her side.

"Are you alright?" Toshiro asked.

"…" Ren looked up at the windows. They were fine. No cracks. No missing shards. They were fully intact. Ren looked around at the other windows. They were also intact. What was that just now?

"Ren?"

"Oh, sorry, Shiro." Ren said happily. "I zoned out again."

"You really need to stop doing that in a busy place like this. It's dangerous."

"Hey, I said that to you the other day!" Ren whined, annoyed that Toshiro was giving her a lecture that she had given him before.

"Ren, is everything okay?" Tom asked.

"Yup! Everything's hunky dory!" Ren said with her smile. "Let's eat!" Ren trotted past Tom, humming to herself. But, Toshiro couldn't help but notice how Ren rubbed her head and reach into her pocket. Toshiro was on full alert when he saw an orange cylinder with a white cap in her hand. It was her pills.

"Ren." Toshiro went straight to Ren's side, just as she was pouring herself a glass of water from a table full of glasses and jugs of water. "Why do you take those pills?"

"Eh?" Ren looked at the cylinder. "Oh, these things? They're nothing."

"It certainly doesn't look like nothing." Toshiro insisted. He knew full well what those pills did; he just wanted to hear from Ren herself. "What do they do?"

"I dunno." Ren said simply, taking a couple out from the container and placing them on the table so that she could put the rest away.

"You don't know what they are…and you're taking them." Toshiro said, trying to clarify what Ren just said.

"Yup." Ren said. "Altair prescribed them to me. He said I should take them whenever I have a pounding headache."

"Aren't you supposed to take aspirin's for that?"

"The hell is that?" Ren asked, popping the pills in her mouth and swallowing a gulp of water.

"He means paracetamol." Tom said.

"Oooooh. Yeah, you'd think so, but this isn't that kind of headache."

"Then what are they for?" Toshiro demanded, getting frustrated.

"I told you, I don't know." Ren's grip started to tighten on the glass.

"Don't push her, Toshiro." Tom said, noticing how Ren was getting upset.

"Stop asking me these questions, Shiro. I don't kn-" All of a sudden, Ren's glass broke in her hand, cutting into her skin enough to draw blood. The water from the glass made the blood run and drip on the table.

"Ren!" Toshiro grabbed Ren's wrist, inspecting the cuts on her hand. "What happened?!"

"I have no clue." Ren answered, confused. "I wasn't even gripping it that hard."

"Come on, I'm taking you to the medical office." Toshiro, keeping his grip on Ren's arm, led Ren out of the cafeteria while she trotted behind him, insisting that she was fine. Tom stared after them, and Nathan joined him by his side, holding two donuts. They looked at each other, and shared their silent concern.

…

"Shiro, I appreciate your concern, but this was totally unnecessary." Ren said for the millionth time, sitting on the bed of the medical office while her hand was resting on a table with a towel underneath it.

"And I told you it is necessary." Toshiro said for the millionth time also, leaning on the wall. "I know you can regenerate, but what if glass got in those wounds? Then what? The injuries will heal with the glass still trapped inside."

"Fair enough." Ren gave in, just as a man dressed in a white doctor's coat came in.

"Well, fortunately, you didn't get any glass in those wounds, but I'm still going to have to patch it up." The man went to Ren and dabbed at her hand with a cloth full of disinfectant, making Ren wince a little from the stinging. "It's nothing serious, so you should heal up in a few days. But, how did this happen exactly?"

"Uh…" Ren started trying to think of something that was more believable than breaking a glass in her hand.

"She dropped a glass and tried to tidy it up herself." Toshiro interrupted, knowing that any excuse Ren comes up with wouldn't be believable, even if everyone believed her anyway.

"I see. You really shouldn't have done that with your bare hands, uh…" The man peered over at a file on a table next to him. "Ren? That's a strange name."

"Yeah, I know." Ren said with a small smile. The man started to wrap a bandage around Ren's hand.

"It's not a name I've ever heard before. Is it short for something?"

"No it…it's just Ren." Ren said, and Toshiro couldn't help but notice how her tone was quite snappy, and his back was getting a little warmer.

"Well, that's interesting." The man tied a knot in the bandage and picked up the bottle of disinfectant to put it away. "I would have thought with a name like that it would be short for Renee or som-"

"It's Ren!" Ren suddenly snapped, and the bottle of disinfectant shattered in the doctor's hand.

"Oh." He said in surprise.

"Eh?" Ren blinked. "Are you okay?" Ren had suddenly calmed down and was instantly concerned.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine. I guess I have a firmer grip than I thought." The doctor said with a smile. "I'll get some more disinfectant. You're free to go now." The doctor left the room, leaving Toshiro and Ren alone together.

"Well, that was weird." Ren said, hopping down from the bed and staring at the puddle of disinfectant, scratching her head. "Usually I have great control of my telekinesis, but this? This is new."

"Always?" Toshiro repeated. "That can't be right."

"What makes you say that?" Ren asked, looking at Toshiro.

"Because I'm the complete opposite. I can't go twenty minutes without accidentally moving something!" Toshiro waved an arm in exclamation, and as if on cue, the window of the medical room suddenly flew open, sending a sudden breeze into the room. "See?" Toshiro indicated the window.

"You're still a beginner, so it's understandable. Me? I've always had great control of my telekinesis. It's almost as if I've done it before." Ren smiled her smile at Toshiro. "Weird, huh?"

"Yeah. Weird." Toshiro agreed, closing the window. "But I hardly think talking about your name is a reason to break something."

"Eh? What are you on about?"

"That doctor was saying something about your name being short for something like Renee, you snapped at him, and then the bottle broke."

"I did?" Ren said, a blank look on her face. "That doesn't sound like me."

"That's what I'm saying. You weren't acting like yourself just now, and you did that." Toshiro pointed at the puddle and glass on the floor.

"Shiro, I don't think I'd break a bottle over something so trivial."

"Well, you did."

"How do you know you didn't do it?" Ren asked simply. "You can sense Cielvian magic, right?"

"Yes, but I can't tell if it's you using it or me."

"So it _could_ have been you."

"I didn't do it!"

"Hey, I didn't say you did, I said you could have. I mean, it's unlikely that I did it."

"But you said telekinesis bursts out when in emotional stress, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"So you must have done it."

"Well, if I did, then I don't remember."

"How can you not remember something you did less than a minute ago?!" Toshiro yelled, getting frustrated with Ren's shorter than usual memory.

"I don't know, but I'm telling you, I have no idea how it happened! I don't know what the doctor said, and I don't know how the-Gh!" Ren's hands suddenly went to her head and her body was shaking from obvious pain.

"Hey, are-" Toshiro stopped himself when he felt an all too familiar sensation on his back that made him flinch. "What the…" Toshiro looked behind him. His back shouldn't be burning right now. There was nothing Cielvian here. Unless…Unless Ren's sudden headache was connected to his burning back somehow! Toshiro was brought back to the present when he heard the sound of something heavy being dropped. Toshiro turned back around, and was met with the sight of Ren lying on the ground, having suddenly collapsed. "Ren!" Toshiro dropped down onto his knees beside Ren. "Are you alright?" Toshiro managed to lift Ren's upper body off the ground, just as her eyes fluttered open.

"Shiro?" Ren said quietly, staring up at his face with half open eyes. She wearily looked around the room. "Eh? Why am I…here?" Ren looked at her bandaged hand. "Right…I got cut on some glass…I think…Wait…" Ren looked back at Toshiro. "Weren't we talking about something?"

"Nothing important." Toshiro lied.

_She forgot again._ Toshiro thought.

"!" Ren face suddenly flooded red when she realised how close she was to Toshiro. "Nya!" Ren pushed Toshiro away from her and crawled back from him, almost cutting her hands again from the glass of the disinfectant. "Sorry! Uuuu, this is so embarrassing!"

_And now she's acting like nothing ever happened._ Toshiro narrowed his eyes in thought. _What's going on here?_

"At any rate, we'd better head back to the cafeteria." Ren stood up off the ground, giving Toshiro her hand to help him stand up. "The others must be worried." Ren trotted out of the door humming a song to herself, but Toshiro stayed behind. After seeing Ren lose her short term memory so suddenly, Toshiro was starting to think that Ren might be linked to this anniversary more than he thought. He noticed that Ren's school file was still wide open on the table. Without a second thought, Toshiro swiped it from the table and left the room.

…

"Damn…" Toshiro sighed as soon as the door to his room was shut. He pulled off his necktie and threw it on the bed. He tossed his new file onto the desk and sat down behind it, staring at the file as if he were willing it to tell him what he wanted to know.

_Let's see who you really are, Ren. _Toshiro thought, opening the file. _Let's start with seventh grade. Ren would be about twelve years old by then._ Toshiro got out the files about Ren's first year at that school and scanned through the writing. There were a few minutes of silence as Toshiro read through the papers, broken only by the sound of papers being moved and shuffled around as Toshiro read through each one.

"That's odd…" Toshiro thought out loud.

"What's odd?" Zena asked, appearing by his side and peering over his shoulder, but he wasn't the least bit surprised at all, since he had become accustomed to Zena suddenly appearing.

"Look at this." Toshiro pointed at a page that showed Ren's grades of her first term. "These are her grades from September to December of 2005; the year she started school." Zena looked closer at the paper.

"Wow, they're pretty good." Zena said, mildly impressed.

"That's what I thought. Ren's not a genius, but she isn't stupid, either." Toshiro showed a different sheet of paper to Zena as he listed off qualities. "Perfect attendance. School council. And like I said…" Toshiro waved the grades sheet at Zena again. "Her grades are all A's and B's." Toshiro put the papers back on the table. "She's been getting these grades since elementary school, and it's looking good for her. If this place had class representatives, she'd be one. She's even co-captain of the school's swimming team."

"I thought she couldn't hold her breath for very long."

"She can't, but she's still a great swimmer. And this is the confusing part. When she reached eighth grade, she suddenly quit. I'll have to look into that later, but for now, there's something else I need to show you. Like I said, Ren was, and still is, a model student. From first grade onwards, she's been getting good grades for years. But then, after the Christmas holidays of seventh grade came and went…" Toshiro pulled that grades sheet out of the way to reveal another one. "Blam!"

"Oh!" Zena was a lot more surprised this time. This grades sheet was a sharp contrast to the previous one. While the first sheet was full of praises and promise, this one was full of failure. It was littered with D's, E's and the occasional C, and even a few F's.

"Her grades drop. But look at the date where they get even lower. Right here." Toshiro pointed at the designated area.

"February 22nd." Zena read. Her eyes widened. "Wait. That's the same as…"

"The first day of the Blank Fortnight." Toshiro finished. "I thought the village heads were doing everything in their power to make sure the Blank Fortnight remained blank." Toshiro placed a hand on the folder. "Looks like they missed a spot."

"Toshiro, this is fantastic!" Zena exclaimed happily, raising her arms up in the air.

"I'm not done yet."

"Huh?" Zena blinked a couple times, her arms still raised. "You're not?"

"After a few months, Ren's grades stop and her attendance stopped. She doesn't have any marks for the rest of her first year."

"What does that mean?" Zena asked, lowering her arms.

"It means that Ren wasn't in school. She shows up in school again at the start of year eight, and her grades return to normal as if nothing had ever happened."

"And you think something happened to her, don't you?" Zena said. Toshiro nodded.

"Ren vanishing from the school's radar coincides with another important date. Here." Toshiro pointed at another date. Zena followed his finger, and she gasped.

"That's…"

"Yes." Toshiro said, his face more serious than ever. "Ren vanished on March 7th."

"The anniversary." Zena whispered.

"Exactly. I believe that despite what Ren says, and even though I don't want to drag her into this mess…" Toshiro slammed the folder shut as he stood up out of his chair. "The anniversary and the Blank Fortnight all revolve around Ren."

"But how?" Zena asked.

"I don't know." Toshiro picked up the file and opened his drawer, getting the other file out of there and placing Ren's school file inside of it, closing the drawer afterwards. "But I know I'm close to finding out." Toshiro sat back down again and opened up the other file. "It's just a matter of when I find out, because the anniversary is only four days away, and I feel like I'm going in cir…" Toshiro stopped talking as he read the file.

"Toshiro?" Zena said, noticing how he had suddenly gone quiet.

"No…" Toshiro said. "No, this can't be right."

"What is it?" Zena asked, trying to get a better look at the file.

"This file…It doesn't have a name on it. I can't tell who it's about."

"Really? There must be a name."

"Well, there's something, but it can hardly be considered a name."

"What's it say? What's it say?" Zena said eagerly.

"It says C12."

"That is strange…" Zena took a few steps back and folded her arms thoughtfully.

"According to the seal on the paper, this comes from a place called Lady Jane Institute. It sounds like a school. And it should be somewhere in the city." Toshiro leaned back on his chair. "It would be too risky to go to this place head on. I'll have to use another method. Maybe the library?"

"Or you could use Google." Zena suggested with a smile.

"Google? And what the hell is that?" Toshiro asked, looking at Zena.

"It's a search engine." Zena explained. Toshiro looked at her blankly. "You type in a question and it comes up with lots of answers." Toshiro still looked blank. "It's on the internet."

"Oooh, the internet." Toshiro said, finally understanding.

"Wow, you really don't know a lot about technology, do you?"

"Hey, you're supposed to know even less than me!"

"Yeah, but I am a part of Ren, so I see what she sees." Zena retorted, sticking her tongue out at him for good measure.

"Remind me, how old are you meant to be?" Toshiro muttered, turning back to his desk.

"Hey, that's mean!" Zena whined, but Toshiro ignored her. He was too busy making the additions of C12 and Lady Jane Institute to his notes.

_C12 and Lady Jane Institute, huh?_ Toshiro thought. _Why the secrecy?_

"Is there a picture of C12?" Zena asked, suddenly realising there was no picture attached to the profile box on the record. There was a paperclip, but it was keeping nothing together. Maybe it fell off?

"Right. I'll check." Toshiro shuffled through the papers, and finally found a square printed on photographic paper. "Here it is!" Toshiro said a little more triumphantly than he expected. "Ah…"

"What's wrong?" Zena asked. No response. "Toshiro?"

"Zena…" Toshiro slowly turned around to face Zena, a shocked expression on his face. "C12…This girl…It's the same one as in my vision."

"What?!" Zena was instantly by Toshiro's side, staring at the photo. It was a girl of twelve years old with a pale face and long blonde hair, and holding a sign saying C12. It almost looked like a prisoner's profile.

"You were right, Zena. Somehow, this girl that I saw in a vision about the future is connected to the past."

"…" Zena said nothing, still staring at the photo. She grabbed it out of Toshiro's hand to get a closer look, and the photo stayed in her hand, once again changing Toshiro's perception of ghosts and spirits.

"Zena?" Toshiro said, noticing her silence.

"Toshiro…This girl…" Zena started before falling silent again. "No, never mind." She said with a smile.

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing. I thought it was a hunch, but I'm probably wrong." Zena held the photo between two fingers and waved it a little. "Mind if I hold onto this for a while?"

"Okay, fine by me." Toshiro said dismissively, walking past Zena and leaving his room, shutting the door behind him. But, that didn't stop Zena from simple passing through the door.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm making tea."

"Do you really think a mug of tea will help?" Zena said with a teasing tone in her voice and a teasing smile to match.

"No, but I'm willing to try."

"If not, there's always the booze cabinet!" Zena said in a sing-song voice.

"Did you not see me at the party?!" Toshiro exclaimed, feeling the embarrassment of that video resurfacing. Zena giggled. "What's so funny?!"

"Nothing, I just thought something like that would lighten the mood and cheer you up, and it worked."

"Yes, well, it's appreciated, but there's still a lot I have to do." Toshiro clicked the electric kettle on. "I need to go back to that storage closet in the village hall. If Ren ever did anything in 2006, that place will tell me. And I also want to know if Nathan really did transfer schools rather than get expelled. If he did transfer, than there's more to him than meets the eye."

"Are you going to find Katelyn and ask her anything?"

"Not yet." Toshiro shook his head.

"And if it's a hidden village we're dealing with, I think you should see if any former residents are still in the villages."

"That's a great idea, Zena. Thanks." The kettle started to get a little louder, but Toshiro was so wrapped up in his thoughts, he didn't pay much attention. "I got a record of the residents of Redwood from that room. It may only be from 2006, but it should help me."

"And there's that institute, too. What's the name? Mary Jane?"

"Lady Jane." Toshiro corrected.

"Oh, right." Toshiro opened a cupboard, trying to remember where the mugs were.

"The city library might have some information, but as they say, it's a big web. So, it will have to be the internet." Upon seeing nothing but biscuits and snacks in the cupboard, he closed it and tried another one. "That website might be useful. Um…" Toshiro looked at Zena. "What was it called? Moodle?"

"Google." Zena corrected with an amused smile. "It's called Google."

"Oh…I knew that." Toshiro lied with shifty eyes. He closed the cupboard. "Damn, where are the mugs? The kettle's almost done."

"That one there." Zena pointed at the cupboard above the kettle. Toshiro almost groaned in exasperation at the obvious location, and the urge grew even bigger when he opened the cupboard and, indeed, the mugs were there, right above the coffee, tea, hot chocolate and sugar. "Although, I don't know a lot about the internet. In fact, I don't know a lot about computers. I just know these things exist. Maybe Ren can help you."

"No!" Toshiro said urgently, looking away from the cupboard and spinning around to face Zena. He was so panicked in that instant, he almost dropped the mug he was getting out. "I mean, no. I already asked Ren about the existence of Redwood, and that's as far as I go." Toshiro placed the mug on the kitchen counter so that he wouldn't drop it the next time Zena decided to ask a question like that. "I'm not going to drag Ren into this mess."

"I don't think that will be possible." Zena said quietly.

"What do you mean?" Toshiro asked.

"I mean that-"

"Ooooo, is that you, Shiro?"

"!" Zena vanished from the spot just as Ren came into the room.

"You're making tea?! Oh my god, you must really like the stuff!"

"What can I say? It's grown on me." Toshiro said with a shrug.

"So I see." Ren went over to the cupboard, got out a pot pf teabags and dropped one into Toshiro's mug. "And I overheard you saying something about Google. Do you know how to use it?"

"Yes." Toshiro lied. Ren folded her arms. "No."

"Shiro, it's nothing to be ashamed of. I mean, I know technology here is a bit more than you're used to. I'd be more than happy to show you."

"You would?"

"Well, sure. I mean, I taught you how to lift things with your mind. Teaching you about computers should be a piece of cake." Ren took another teabag out of the pot. "Think fast!" Ren threw it at Toshiro, and without missing a beat, Toshiro raised a hand and the teabag hovered in front of his palm. "Very good." Ren said, placing a fist on her palm and gave a small bow, mimicking a martial arts teacher.

"You have taught me well. I've practised a little since you showed me how to use it." Toshiro held his palm out, and the teabag made a few loops in the air, and after a few seconds of aerial acrobatics, it dropped into his hand. Ren let out a whistle, impressed.

"Wow. You really are a genius."

"I don't know about that." Toshiro said modestly.

"Oh, come on! You graduated after a year, and you're the youngest Soul Reaper to become a Captain! That's genius right there."

"Well…yeah. But, it's nothing to brag about."

"Mm hm." Ren nodded in agreement. "There's nothing wrong with being modest, Shiro."

"…" Toshiro felt himself smile. Ren may not realise this, but her presence was always enough to calm Toshiro down. And after experiencing a secret tunnel, a haunted diary, a hidden village, an empty two weeks and a mysterious institute along with this twelve year old girl, this is just what he needed. "Thank you, Ren."

"Eh?" Ren blinked, looking at Toshiro. "You say something?"

"Nothing." Toshiro heard the kettle click. It was finished. Toshiro was about to grab the handle, but Ren stopped him.

"No, I can do it. You just focus on that." Ren pointed at small dining table near the kitchen. There was a red laptop on top of it.

"A laptop?"

"Yup. Might as well get you internet savvy while we're here." Ren started to pour the water into the mug. "Just turn it on and we'll get started.

"R-Right." Toshiro stared at the laptop. He picked it up and inspected it, trying to find some clue as to how to turn it on. Ren, finished with making the tea, looked over at Toshiro and smiled to herself. Sometimes, he was like a fish out of water. But, it was lucky that he learned quickly and he was smart, so it was okay. It did make him kinda cute, though.

"Hm…" Toshiro looked underneath it. Nothing. "Hm…" Toshiro tried behind the laptop. Again, nothing. "Hm…" Toshiro opened up the top, surprised to find more under there. But, he became even more overwhelmed when he found not one button but several. And they all had letters on them and symbols he didn't recognise. Yet, not a single one seemed to show any clue as to how to turn it on.

"AAAARRRRRGGGHH!" Toshiro yelled out of frustration, shaking the laptop. "How do you work this blasted thing?!"

"On second thought, this is gonna take a while." Ren said out loud, sweat dropping.

**So, there you have it! The Sixth Village arc has been kicked off! Who is C12? What does Zena know? Is Ren connected to this? Why does everyone avoid the forest? What's with that strange diary? And what about Lady Jane Institute and the village of Redwood? All these question, and more, will be answered in the next chapter. Review, favourite, follow, you know the rest. See you soon!**


	30. C12

**Welcome back, everybody! So, last time, Toshiro started investigating about the Blank Fortnight and the mysterious anniversary all the village residents keep talking about. Plus, he found out that the hidden village, Redwood, exists. But, where is it? What is the Lady Jane Institute? Who is C12? What is the anniversary for? The answers will come soon, my friends. The question is…can Toshiro and the others handle it?**

Chapter 28

C12

"Wait, I don't understand. How-"

"There are millions of websites on the web." Ren interrupted quickly, looking visibly fatigued, while Toshiro was staring straight at the screen of the laptop.

"But how did-"

"This house has a strong Wi-Fi."

"What's a-"

"It's what we call an internet connection in different buildings. These days, almost every public place has a Wi-Fi, but some internet connections cost you."

"And what are-"

"Those just show how many pages of search results there are."

"Okay, but what's-"

"That's just an ad. They pop up from time to time. Just ignore them or this thing will have a crapload of viruses."

"And why is-"

"Because Google sounds like Googol, and it's a huge number."

"Oooh, I get it now!" Toshiro said, tapping a fist on his palm.

"Finally!" Ren exclaimed, throwing her arms up in the air.

"What? It didn't take that long." Toshiro said defensively.

"Really? The ice cold tea says otherwise."

"…" Toshiro held the mug of tea. Indeed, it had gone ice cold.

"And so does that clock." Ren pointed at the clock on the wall. It read 7pm. They had been like this for four hours.

"Ah." Toshiro said a little meekly. "Sorry, Ren."

"Well, as long as you know the basics." Ren said, slumping in a chair with a sigh.

"I just need to confirm one more thing…" Toshiro started.

"Oh, would you look at the time?!" Ren said loudly, jumping out of her chair and walking extremely quickly out of the room. "I have to write my hair and wash my essay!"

"It's the other way around!" Toshiro shouted after Ren.

"Whatever!"

"Honestly…" Toshiro turned back to the laptop screen. It was back to the Google homepage, and the little black cursor was blinking on the search bar, almost like it was beckoning Toshiro. And it was working. Toshiro reached a hand out to the keyboard, but paused and clenched the hand into a half-fist. The computer was right here. He knew how to use it. If he wanted to, he could search for anything and everything he wanted to know about the anniversary, the hidden village, the Blank Fortnight, the Lady Jane Institute; everything. It was just a few clicks away. But, Toshiro was rather hesitant to do so. He unclenched his hand and reached towards the letter R, but at the last second, he pressed the power button of the laptop, and within a few seconds, the screen went black. It was off.

"Not tonight." He said quietly, closing the laptop. He stood up out of his chair, the legs scraping across the ground. "I don't want to deal with anymore of this nonsense today." Toshiro picked up the ice cold tea and poured it into the sink as he walked back through the kitchen, placing the now empty mug on a kitchen counter. The moment Toshiro heard the tea go down the drain, he couldn't shake off the feeling that, soon, he was going to encounter something that not even a hundred mugs of tea could fix.

The next day, 4th March, 7:30am (3 days until the anniversary)

"He wants to see me before school?!" Ren exclaimed, staring at her phone. "Son of a mother-Grrr!" Ren cut herself off with a growl and shoved her phone back into the pocket of her school blazer with such force, she almost tore a hole straight through it. "Can't he keep a regular schedule?! Shiro, I'm going! I'll see you later!" Ren grabbed her school bag and left the house without waiting for a response.

"Um…bye?" Toshiro eventually said, peering around the corner from the kitchen. "She was in a hurry. Must be Altair, judging by her mood. She didn't make me leave with her. Ren really is just letting me investigate." Toshiro went back into the kitchen and straight towards the laptop, which was still sitting on the table. "Better not let this go to waste." Toshiro sat behind the table, lifted the laptop and switched it on. While it loaded, Toshiro tried to remember everything Ren had taught him about computers, which in truth wasn't really that much. But, like she said, it should be enough to use the internet at least.

_Okay… _Toshiro thought as soon as the computer was fully switched on. _I think this little square is the mouse. _Toshiro tapped the square and the little white arrow on the screen twitched. _Right. And over here is the internet. I think…Please work…Yes!_ Toshiro felt a moment of triumph as soon as he saw the homepage of Google. _Now…_Toshiro got the notes out of his pocket and placed it on the able, smoothing out the many wrinkles with his hands.

"I thought you guys were meant to be tech savvy." Zena said, appearing beside Toshiro with folded arms and a smile.

"Where I come from, the only computers we have are in Squad Twelve. I've seen them in the World of the Living, but I've never used one before." Toshiro explained, trying to find the enter key. Zena pointed it out, and he uttered a quick thank you before looking back at his notes.

"So, what are you gonna do?" Zena asked, leaning over to look at his notes. "Wow, you got a lot there. Looks like someone's been busy, eh?" Zena nudged Toshiro playfully, her bony elbow being felt clearly on Toshiro's right arm.

"Lay off." Toshiro shrugged off her arm.

"What are you going to start with? Lady Jane Institute? The Thornton family?"

"Later. I want to find out about Redwood first and see if I can find its location." As he spoke, Toshiro had already typed in the name 'Redwood' and pressed Enter, immediately displaying the results. "Hey, that's pretty impressive. It wasn't even one second."

"Let's see…Sequoia? What's that?"

"It's a type of tree." Toshiro answered.

"Oh. What else is there? Scroll down."

"Hang on, hang on, I haven't…there…trees…trees…almost all of these are about trees."

"Try making it a little more specific."

"Right." Toshiro scrolled back to the search bar and typed in 'village' next to the village name and pressed enter, bringing up new results. "Now it's going on about this place in America."

"We're in England, right?" Zena asked, an innocent expression on her face.

"Your descendant has a British accent and we are in a country where it could start raining at any minute. You tell me."

"So, yes." Zena said, completely ignoring Toshiro's sarcasm. "And, Ren speaks more like an American than a Brit. Speaking of which, have you found out anything else about her and 2006?"

"Yeah. The fact that she was part of a swimming team is true. I found more information about it when I went to the storage room early this morning. Ren was the only one there who could swim underwater for a prolonged period of time. Take a guess how long for."

"One minute?"

"Try three minutes."

"Has she got gills?" Zena asked, amazed.

"Zena, you know she doesn't have gills. Although she was nicknamed "The Gills", so you're not far off."

"Did you find anything else?"

"No. That was all I could dig up. And now this." Toshiro beckoned the computer screen and rested his head in his hand, trying to think of something else. It seemed that every time he thought he had a lead, the tracks were quickly wiped out. The fact that all he could find out about a twelve year old Ren was a nickname in a sports team really showed how low his results were sinking. "Now what?"

"Why don't you try looking for it on the map? See? There's a map tab there." Zena pointed at the screen.

"Search for the village manually. Of course." Toshiro clicked on the maps tab. "Okay, so the villages should be in the south-east of England, which is…here." Toshiro zoomed in on that area. "That's the city where Ren's school is, so if I go this way, I should find Hazelford…A little more…there it is." After finding the first village, Toshiro started moving the map around to find the other villages. If they were this close together, then Redwood couldn't be that far. "There's Woolfield, right next to Hazelford. That's where Tom and Stephanie live. Then there's Oakworth, where Nathan lives. Millsdale is there…There's Portsbury…And Redwood is right…" Toshiro scrolled through the map, trying to find the village. He passed over the same villages a couple times, but nothing. There was no other clump of buildings on the map. "It's not here."

"What? It should be."

"Well, it's not." Toshiro zoomed out so that there was a view of all five villages. "All five villages are right here, but there's no sign of a sixth."

"Are you saying it's not on the map?"

"I am." Toshiro nodded.

"Wherever that village is, it's either abandoned, or the village heads are that determined to keep something secret."

"Like the anniversary." Toshiro said.

_So Redwood really is connected to it somehow._ Toshiro thought.

"Well, there's nothing I can do about it now." Toshiro quickly went back to the homepage. "Let's try something else."

"What are you going to do now?"

"I'm going to find out more about the Lady Jane Institute. If I can find its location, or even any staff that used to work there, I can find the identity of C12, and warn her about the future."

"She might not believe you." Zena said as Toshiro typed in the name of the institute.

"I have to try." Toshiro pressed enter, and was met with results immediately. "Now, this is more like it. The first one looks promising." Toshiro clicked on it, and it opened up what looked like an information page on the building, complete with a picture. It was a large, white bricked building with a rectangular structure. It looked a lot like a school, or even a hospital. "It says here that it's located within the city, it was founded in the 1800s…" Toshiro scrolled down. "And…it's closed?"

"Huh?"

"It says right here that the institute was shut down in August 2006."

"That's after the anniversary, right?"

"It is. There's gotta be more here." Toshiro scrolled down again, and found some more text. "Pay-dirt!" Toshiro read the rest of the text. "The Lady Jane Institute shut down in August 2006 after years of service due to the director Dr Cyrus Shepherd resigning his position, and nobody else was suited to fill the role. However, late research shows that this was not necessarily the only reason why the institute was shut down. Behind closed doors, the institute was known for its unorthodox, and sometimes inhumane, methods, which stem back to its founding days when it was given a different name…" Toshiro's eyes widened as he read the next words. "Rock Ledge Asylum."

"An asylum?" Zena gasped. "Lady Jane Institute is a mental hospital?"

"It would seem so." Toshiro carried on reading. "The Rock Ledge Asylum was known for its inhumane treatments of patients, electroshock therapy and leeches among them, with evidence that lobotomy was practiced on former patients. And even in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, these treatments continued without anybody finding out until 2006, where the Lady Jane Institute was dealing with its final, and most challenging, patient. Confidentiality means that we cannot put the name of this patient up here, but even in the institute, the patient went by the name C12."

"C12? That's the girl! Great, our lead is a lunatic."

"Was." Toshiro corrected. "This place was shut down six years ago. If C12 is still alive, she should be the same age as Ren, if the picture of her is anything to go by." Toshiro held his chin. "But why was she in a mental hospital? And why was a younger version of her in a vision about the future?"

"It says here the director lives in Portsbury." Zena said, reading the rest of the article. "That's one of the villages. His name is Cyrus Shepherd, right?"

"And if he lives in the villages, his name should show up on the records. I've got the 2006 records in my room."

"I'll get 'em!" Zena said enthusiastically, vanishing from the spot. When a few seconds passed, Zena appeared again, holding a green rucksack in her arms. "Is this it?"

"That's the one." Zena dropped it on the ground. "Hey, don't be so rough." Toshiro said, riffling through the files to find the one he was looking for.

"Sorry…" Zena apologised sheepishly as Toshiro pulled out the dossier he was looking for.

"Let's see…Shepherd…Shepherd…Sharrow…Shearman…Shelby…Shepherd! There it is!" Toshiro finally found the surname he was looking for. And the first name right next to it was Cyrus. He had found the director. "There's an address here. Number 4, Poppy Drive."

"Let's go!" Zena yelled cheerfully, already jogging off.

"Hold it."

"Eh?" Zena stopped mid-run, her arms and legs still raised. She looked over her shoulder at Toshiro. "You're not going yet?"

"Not yet, no." Toshiro shut the dossier and placed it back with the others. "We have to tread carefully. This is the doctor of a former asylum we're dealing with. Who knows what he saw? I wouldn't be surprised if he was as deranged as the patients he dealt with. Plus, there's the file on C12. I want him to answer a few questions about it. Zena, could you get it for me? It should still be on my desk."

"Be right back." Zena vanished, and in an even shorter amount of time than before, she was back again, holding the document in her hand.

"Thanks." Toshiro stood up and took it out of her hand, opening it up.

"What do you want to know about it?" Zena asked. "Everything should be there, right?"

"Wrong. This file is about the most challenging patient Lady Jane has ever had. And if she was mad enough to have been given a code name, there must be more about her." Toshiro snapped the file shut. "So then, why is this file so thin?"

"I hadn't thought of that." Zena said thoughtfully, amazed at Toshiro's level of intelligence.

"It gives details of the girl's age, education, profile, the date she checked in and the date she checked out." Toshiro said, listing off the information on his fingers. "But it tells me nothing about where she lives or why she was even there. And if anyone knows about C12…" Toshiro pointed at the webpage on Lady Jane Institute with the folder. "It's the director."

"Let's go?" Zena suggested, poised to run off again.

"No." Toshiro said, turning back around to place the file on the table and ignoring how Zena fell over after being balanced on one leg, but she simple floated back up again. "I don't want to cause anymore suspicion than I already have." Toshiro pulled a half-knotted tie out of his pocket and looped it around his neck, folding the collar over it and tightening the knot a little.

"You're going to school?"

"Like I said, I'm trying not to look suspicious. I already skipped school and Ren's friends are noticing my investigating. If I keep this up I'll be caught before I'm even done." Toshiro zipped the rucksack shut and got a paper timetable out of his pocket. "Today is Thursday, so I'll act as normal as possible until the end of Friday. Ren and I have free periods all afternoon, and she usually goes home early because of it. I can resume my investigations then."

"So, you're gonna be all stealthy like Mission Impossible?" Zena asked with a smile.

"Uh…sure." Toshiro said, not sure how to respond to that. He re-pocketed the paper schedule. "I'll find Dr Shepherd on Friday and get him to tell me what he knows." Toshiro focused on the laptop and cleared the history before closing the browser. "Hopefully, he'll fill in some holes on the identity of C12. Then, I'll find Redwood."

"A man with a plan!" Zena said enthusiastically, snapping her fingers.

"Whatever." Toshiro started to leave the room. "If you want to be useful, put this stuff back where you found it."

"?" Zena looked back and forth between the stuff around the table and the retreating back of Toshiro. "Wait a minute; shouldn't you turn this thing off?" She said, pointing at the laptop.

"Oh. Right." Toshiro came back, pressed the off switch and closed the laptop before leaving the house without another word.

"Um…bye?" Zena said, mirroring exactly what Toshiro did when Ren left the house earlier.

…

"This was a bad idea." Toshiro said, an extremely annoyed look on his face. Toshiro was stood in a storage room full of gym equipment, and he was holding a bunch of basketballs in his arms. "Why am I tidying up after everyone?!" He exclaimed.

"Shiro, it's a routine deal." Ren explained, walking while dragging a bench inside the room. She was still dressed in the P.E. kit of the school, which was a white polo shirt with the school crest on the left breast and black school shorts, with her usually loose hair tied up in a loose ponytail. "Everyone has to do it sooner or later."

"Yeah, but why me?" Toshiro asked, dropping the basketballs into a basket. "I didn't even do gym today." He tugged at his shirt to point out the lack of a P.E. kit.

"Punishment?" Ren suggested, shrugging her shoulders with a smile. "And it's not gym. It's called Afternoon Activities. All Sixth Formers have to do it, including you. Guess Feather hunting was a good excuse for the others to skip out." Toshiro grumbled under his breath, making Ren giggle a bit before moving the bench back with the others. "Although, I suppose I can sympathise with you a little. I had to do this a lot when I was younger. I was always grouped up with some lazy boy." Ren looped some hair behind her ear. "Most I had ever lifted was a box of books, and they expected me to drag a damned trampoline?"

"A trampoline?!" Toshiro shared Ren's annoyance, with a bigger hint of surprise. Ren had to carry a trampoline? He saw those things, and they were huge.

"Yup." Ren nodded. "But, I persuaded them to help."

"How?"

"Oh…" Ren tapped a fist in her palms, giving a cheerful yet dark smile. "I had my ways." Pause. "I threatened to give 'em FaceTime with Dr Fist and Sir Brick!" Ren said happily, throwing her arms up in the air.

"Ha! I would have liked to see that!" Toshiro said, cracking a smile.

"Yeah! It was hilarious!" Ren laughed behind her hand. Toshiro found himself still smiling as he left the room to get the rest of the basketballs. When he was with Ren, he felt like he could tell her anything, and she would never think less of him. Around Ren, Toshiro felt different. He felt like…himself.

"Just these balls left? Wow, we're good."

"This would be done a lot faster if you used telekinesis." Toshiro said, picking up a couple basketballs.

"Dame, dame." Ren insisted, wagging her finger with every syllable. "Just because we have powers doesn't mean we should use them whenever we want, even if nobody is looking." Ren flicked a ball up with her foot and caught it in one hand. "If I did, then I'd get lazy."

"That's a fair point." Toshiro agreed. "By the way, what's FaceTime?"

"It's a type of web chat. You know, where you talk to people and see their faces at the same time?"

"Oh, I get it."

"You really are out of touch with the twenty first century, aren't'cha?"

"Hey, I'm from a completely different world, remember?"

"Hai, hai!" Ren said dismissively yet cheerfully, dumping the rest of the balls in the storage room. "Right." Ren placed her hands on her hips, surveying the basket. "That should be all of them."

"Not quite." Toshiro dropped some more basketballs into the basket.

"Okay, _now_ that's all of them." Ren corrected. "Oh, wait. The balls go in here." Ren went to a door inside the storage room, twisting the key that was already in it and opening it up. As Ren went back to the basket, Toshiro went to the room to try and find some form of light switch. Nothing. Toshiro backed out, but stopped. He was drawn to the massive crack that was on the inside of the door and ran from the top to the left. Toshiro looked at the other side of the door. The crack wasn't there, but there were small gaps where the crack would be.

"Hey, Ren?"

"Yeah?" Ren said, looking up from the basket.

"Was this crack always here?"

"Eh? Oh, that? Yeah, that's been there for as long as I can remember. It's never been fixed, and as far as I can tell, it never will."

"So they can repair an entire science block, but not a door?" Toshiro grumbled.

"Yup." Ren nodded.

"Freakin' cheapskates."

"Oops." Ren watched a basketball drop out of the basket and bonce away from her before she could catch it, but luckily, Toshiro was there to catch it. "Aw, thanks, Shiro. I'm such a klutz."

"Happens to anybody." Toshiro reassured, tossing the ball into the basket with the others. "Is there really no light switch in there?" Toshiro went into the room with Ren. It was considerable smaller than the rest of the storage room, and with the shelves of various sports balls and smaller equipment, Toshiro and Ren barely had a metre to themselves. "It's so cramped, too."

"Well, nobody saw the point of having a light in here, since the storage room light is pretty bright. Plus, huge baskets aren't that difficult to see."

"But, I can barely see what I'm doing." Toshiro got his phone out of his pocket and used the light from the screen to light up the room dimly. He used it like a torch to survey the room. "How can anyone use this? Wait a minute…What's this?" Toshiro got down on one knee after some shuffling in the cramped room and after moving around a couple baskets.

"Shiro? What is it?" Ren leaned down with her hands on her knees.

"There's something carved into this shelf." Toshiro held the phone closer to the lower shelf with one hand and balanced himself on the floor with the other. Sure enough, there were some scratches on the flat edge of the shelf, but it looked rather thick to be done with a knife. Maybe it was with scissors? But, this writing wasn't in English. In fact, it didn't even look like writing. It was just some unreadable gibberish.

"Hey, is it just me, or does it look like hiragana?" Ren asked.

"What?" Toshiro took a closer look. Ren was right. It was a little hard to tell in the dark, but these scratches did look a lot like Japanese hiragana.

"What's it say? What's it say?" Ren asked.

"Hold on, the lights not bright enough. I can't see what it says very well."

"How's this?" Ren pulled her phone out and shone it in the general area, making the scratches just that little bit more visible.

"Ren, where were you storing your phone?"

"Same place any girl does when they don't have pockets." Ren answered. "And that's for me to know and you to never find out."

"Right." Toshiro, deciding to completely forget about that spurt of Ren's logic, focused on the scratches. It looked a lot clearer now. It looked like he could actually read it.

"_Let me out…"_

"Eh?" Toshiro looked behind him.

"What's up?"

"Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"Nothing." Toshiro quickly dismissed it, passing that strange whisper off as paranoia. Now, back to the scratched graffiti. "Let's see…" Toshiro squinted a little at the characters. "Um…Ta…Su…A little light this way, Ren…Tasu…Ke…Te." Toshiro had read the whole thing. A silence passed through. Toshiro placed his hand on the carving. He knew what those words meant, but Ren was clueless.

"That's no word I've ever heard of." Ren said, folding her arms and sitting up, while Toshiro didn't more from that spot. "Tasukete? What's that mean?"

"Tasukete…" Toshiro repeated without turning around, getting Ren's attention. "It means 'help me'."

"…" Ren said nothing, staring blankly at Toshiro's back. Help me? Who needed help? What did they need help from? This room was clearly a darker place than she thought, both figuratively and literally. Toshiro stayed quiet. Ren tried to say something, but all she could say was a soft "Oh."

"_Let me out."_

"!" Toshiro heard the voice again. It was a little louder and more urgent. And it sounded like a girl.

"We should probably go, Shiro." Ren said quickly. All of a sudden, this place was giving her the chills. Ren was quick to leave the room, and she was almost out of the storage room and back in the sports hall when she realised that Toshiro wasn't with her. "Eh?" Ren turned around. The door to the smaller equipment room was still wide open. Was Toshiro still in there? "Shiro?"

"…" Toshiro hadn't noticed that Ren had left. His grip on the shelf had tightened, and he looked a little fearful. That girl's voice was getting louder and louder, repeating the same words over and over again. And all this time, he never lost his grip on the carving pleading for help.

"_LET ME OUT!"_

"AH!" Toshiro recoiled back, letting go of the shelf and landing flat on his butt, still staring at the carving. Even in the darkness of the room and the faint light of his phone, the graffiti was all too clear to him. And the moment he had touched it, the voices were louder and clearer, and he felt fear and sadness at the same time. And his back burned, too. Why?

"Shiro!" Ren ran back into the room after hearing Toshiro yell. She saw him sitting on the ground with his back turned to her, and she got down on one knee by his side. "Are you okay? Come on, let's get out of here." Ren helped Toshiro to his feet and led him out of the room. She all but slammed the door and locked it, tugging on the handle to make sure it was locked. Feeling that wasn't enough, she guided Toshiro out of the storage room completely and into the sports hall, sliding the door behind her and going back into the hallway that led to the office of the P.E. staff and the changing rooms. "That's creepy, dude." Ren muttered, feeling a shiver go down her spine.

"…" Toshiro didn't say a word, an expression of blank shock on his face. He just couldn't shake the carving and the emotions out of his mind. "Tasukete…" Toshiro muttered, still unable to comprehend what that word meant and why it was in there.

"You say something?" Ren looked at Toshiro. "Nya!" She suddenly recoiled away from Toshiro, an aghast look on her face.

"What? What is it?"

"Shiro, what wrong with you?!" Ren exclaimed after rubbing her eyes with her fists. "Are you okay?!"

"I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" Toshiro asked, confused about Ren's behaviour.

"You mean you haven't noticed?! Look!" Ren turned Toshiro around so that he was facing a decorative mirror on the wall.

"Huh?" Toshiro finally realised what Ren was so freaked out about. He hadn't noticed, but his face was stained with tears, and there were more falling from his eyes. He was actually crying. "Huh?!" Now it was Toshiro's turn to be aghast. He was crying?! He hadn't cried for a long time. It just wasn't him! No wonder Ren was so freaked out.

"Why are you crying?! Did you get hurt?! What's going on?!" Ren kept asking, questions marks flying around her head.

"I-I-I no clue!" Toshiro stammered stupidly, looking just as confused as Ren. "I was just thinking about that message and I…damn it!" Toshiro started to furiously wipe the tears away with his arm. It was just a relief that Ren was the only one who saw and not anybody else. Which reminded him… "You saw nothing." He warned, glaring at her over his arm before resuming regaining some dignity.

"I'll take it to my grave!" Ren swore, placing a hand on her heart and doing a Scout's salute with the other.

"Good." Toshiro looked at himself in the mirror again. His eyes were dry, but his face was still a little tear stained. Then, a handkerchief came into view and started gently wiping away the tear stains on his cheek. It was Ren.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Ren asked, now significantly calmer.

"Yeah, I'm…I'm fine." Toshiro answered, taking Ren's handkerchief and wiping the rest of his face dry. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He opened them, and he was back wearing his neutral expression as if none of that had ever happened. Toshiro handed Ren back her handkerchief. "Sorry about that."

"Hey, don't worry about it." Ren said with a smile, taking the handkerchief. "Sorry, but I've gotta change back into my uniform. I'll be quick, promise." Toshiro simply beckoned towards the changing rooms, silently telling Ren to go ahead. "Thank, Shiro. Sorry. You go on ahead, and I'll catch up." Ren said as she trotted off down the hall towards the girls changing rooms.

"Okay." Toshiro said, just as the door to the changing room closed. He was on his own. "She really needs to stop apologising so much."

"_Habits aren't easy to break, Toshiro."_

"Yeah, yeah." Toshiro said out loud, knowing that nobody was there to hear him talking to what seemed like himself. "So, you saw that carving in the closet, didn't you?"

"_I did."_

"Thoughts?"

"_I haven't the faintest idea who put it there. Although, I am intrigued about your reaction just now."_

"What of it?" Toshiro said defensively, feeling embarrassed that Zena saw him cry, even if she wasn't physically in the room.

"_Sometimes, when a Cielvian has a vision, it is not uncommon for them to have the emotions felt at the time, be it past or future, to be projected through the person having the vision. Clearly, when you were in that room, you felt their pain. Their sadness. Their suffering. This empathy is considered a side effect of any visions a Cielvian may have, and to even hear the voices and sounds that had or will happen."_

"Now that you mention it, I did hear a voice in there." Toshiro said, following what Zena was saying. "It kept saying "let me out", and I think it was a girl saying it."

"_A girl?"_

"Yeah. I didn't recognise it, though."

"_So much for that…"_ Toshiro could hear the disappointment in her voice.

"And about what you saw…" Toshiro started, but he heard a chuckle.

"_Don't worry. I won't say a word. Ryuki would get like that sometimes, too. It would embarrass him, especially if it suddenly happened in public. So, you're not alone."_

"I can sympathise with that."

"_But still…"_

"Hm? What is it?" Toshiro asked.

"_It's nothing, I just…I just can't shake off the feeling I'm missing something."_

"Like what?"

"_I don't know…Do you ever get the feeling you're forgetting something?"_

"…No." Toshiro said slowly.

"_Yeah, it's just me. Forget it."_

"Whatever." Toshiro said, having already been accustomed to Ren's eccentricity and her occasional airheaded ways. And Zena was no different. A door creaked open, and Ren left the room, fully dressed in her uniform and carrying her school bag on her shoulder, along with a blue and black sporty rucksack on her back.

"Eh?" Ren blinked. "You're still here?"

"Oh, that was fast." Toshiro said, surprised at how quickly Ren got dressed.

"Yeah. The girls usually chat for a hella long time while getting dressed. But noooooot me!" Ren said happily, pointing at herself with her thumb and wearing her usual smile. "In fact, there's still in there, yacking away!

"What? But, we were in there for about ten minutes."

"I know, right?" Ren hooked an arm around Toshiro's shoulders. "Now, what say you and I get to the canteen while they're distracted? It's Thursday, so you know what that means. Chinese food!" Ren sang, throwing her other arm up in the air.

"Right." Toshiro said, still thinking about what Zena said earlier.

"Hey."

"Hm?" Toshiro looked at Ren, who continued to smile at him.

"You know I'm always here for you, right? If you ever feel like talking, or whatever, I'll always be here."

"…" Toshiro nodded.

"_Like I said…" _Toshiro heard Zena say in his head. _"You're not alone."_

"…" Toshiro smiled. "Tell me something I don't know." He said to both Ren and Zena.

"Great! Now, let's get cracking! I don't wanna miss a single prawn cracker!"

…

"Aaaah! Friday's!" Ren sighed, stretching her arms above her head and spinning in the road of Hazelford. Toshiro simply watched her, still sheltered underneath the bus stop. "Don'cha just love 'em?"

"I'll admit that it's nice to leave school early." Toshiro agreed. "But, should you really be standing in the middle of the road like that?"

"Ii kara, ii kara." Ren said dismissively. "This is the countryside, remember? We seldom get a car running through. At night, the roads are practically deserted!" Ren turned around and started marching up the road. "Now, I gotta see that old bastard Altair. I'll see you back home, 'kay, Shiro?"

"Wait."

"Eh?" Ren stopped walking and looked over her shoulder.

"Which way is it to Portsbury?" Toshiro asked. He may have found out that Redwood was not on the maps via the internet, but he was absolutely clueless on using them to get directions. So, he would have to ask Ren. It was a good thing she didn't ask questions.

"Oh, it's that way." Ren pointed straight ahead of her down the road. "It's about a ten minute walk; not too far."

"Thanks."

"Well, gotta run. See ya!" Ren trotted off cheerfully, despite the fact that she was seeing somebody she clearly didn't like. Toshiro watched her go, and when she turned the corner and was gone, Toshiro was assured that he was alone. Now was his chance.

"Zena."

"You called?" Zena said, floating a little way above his head and her hands behind her back.

"Did you get the file?" Toshiro asked.

"Right here." Zena held it out and Toshiro took it from her hand without looking, tucking it under his arm and placing his hands in his pocket. "Back in action, are we?"

"Yes." Toshiro answered, already starting to walk down the road, Zena floating close behind. "I seem to have thrown off the suspicions for now. And with only two days until the anniversary, I have a few more loose ends to tie up."

"And they are talk to Dr Shepherd, find out who C12 is and find the Hidden Village Redwood." Zena said, listing them off on her fingers. "Right?" Zena turned to Toshiro, who nodded.

"If I can just get those answers, then maybe I can find out what this anniversary is all about."

"But what if it's more than you can handle?" Zena asked, hovering in mid-air while Toshiro kept walking. "What if the truth was, shall we say, horrifying?" Toshiro said nothing, and continued walking. "Hmph." Zena smiled. Tenacious. Just like Ryuki. "So that's how it is." Zena floated through the air until she was by Toshiro's side, landed and walked beside him.

…

"Here we are…" Toshiro stood in front of a stone statue of a cross, dividing into two roads leading to different sides of the village, and houses were visible on both sides of the roads. Toshiro chose to take the left fork first, so he wandered down that road. It didn't look that different from Hazelford; small, quiet, modest. It looked the same as any village would. Although, he couldn't help but notice how some of the houses were white, and almost all of them had some form of anchor decorating it, whether it was painted directly onto the house of a garden ornament.

"So this is Portsbury?" Zena said, hovering over the many gardens. "Seems pretty nautical, don't you think? Makes sense, though. You know…Anchors…Ports…" Zena trailed off, noticing how Toshiro wasn't paying attention to her. "Hey, hey, hey." Zena floated in front of Toshiro, but he continued to walk, looking at the file while he walked. "I thought you engaged with pointless conversations with Ren all the time."

"Yes. With Ren. You are not Ren."

"Hm. True." Zena folded her arms and nodded her head in agreement. "But, you can pretend I'm Ren just as easily, right?"

"Zena, focus." Toshiro said harshly, taking Zena aback a little. Toshiro had always been a little cold, but not like this. This mystery must really be getting to him.

"I think it's that way." Zena said, pointing down another road.

"Huh?" Toshiro looked at the road sign. Poppy Drive. "Here it is. Thanks, Zena."

"Oh, now you're nice." Zena grumbled.

"You say something?" Toshiro asked, looking over his shoulder.

"Nothing." Zena said in a sing song voice.

"Number 4 is the house on the end of this road. Finally, I can get some answers." Toshiro looked up from the file…and was stunned at what he found. The house was right there. It was an ordinary, two storey house that could easily accommodate a small family. Or, at least, it was normal. Now, it looked almost abandoned. The paint was peeling, there was visible weeds in the garden, and was that a broken window.

"Yeesh." Zena pulled a face at the state of the house. "Well, guess he's not home. Let's go!" Zena encouraged Toshiro to turn around and walk away, since she was getting a very bad vibe from that house. But, Toshiro was undeterred. He opened the low wooden gate with a creak and walked up the path towards the door. "Guess not." Zena floated beside Toshiro when he reached the door. "Alright, now be polite."

"Yeah, yeah." Toshiro found the doorbell and pressed the button, almost surprised to find that it still worked, despite the fact that not everything in the house worked, either.

"Hold on, I'm coming."

"Good luck." Zena whispered some final words of encouragement before fading away, just as the door opened a crack. Toshiro peered into the crack, and saw the wide, almost blood shot grey eye of a man. He could see a little of the man's face, and he clearly looked older than he actually since, since Toshiro knew for a fact this this man was no older than fifty years old. Even his hair was more white than black, and he had visible wrinkles on his skin and bags under his eyes. Not only that, but he even had a small hunch in his back. If it were any bigger, this man would probably be the same height as Ren.

"What do you want?" The man asked in a gruff voice.

"Cyrus?" Toshiro said, not entirely sure if this was a doctor or a homeless man. "Dr Cyrus Shepherd?"

"Yeah. That's me."

_Oh, good._ Toshiro thought. _It's him._ Although, he had no idea why he was relieved. He was right; this man looked about as deranged as any mental patient.

"Who wants to know?" Cyrus asked, showing no signs of letting Toshiro in.

"My name is Toshiro Hitsugaya. I live in Hazelford, just down-"

"I know where it is." Cyrus interrupted. "Get to the point."

"Right, um…I'm here to ask you some questions."

"…" Cyrus narrowed his visible eye suspiciously. "Shouldn't you be in school, kid?"

"Shouldn't you be at work, old man?" Toshiro retorted without missing a beat.

"_What did I just say?"_ Toshiro heard Zena's annoyed voice say.

_Not now, Zena._ He thought back.

"Touché." Cyrus said, opening the door a little more, but not enough for Toshiro to enter. "What do you want to know?"

"I want to know about your work in the Lady Jane Institute, specifically on a girl who went by the name C12."

"Go somewhere else." Cyrus demanded, starting to slam the door, but Toshiro quickly jammed his foot in the door. He wanted answers, and he was going to get them, damn it. Besides, he had a way for him to tell him exactly what he wanted to know.

"I don't think I properly explained who I am." Toshiro said, pushing the door open a little way and entering the dingy house, while Cyrus walked a few paces back from him, feeling a little intimidated by Toshiro's unnatural strength, and not noticing the small white stars shining around the door ever so briefly. "You are in no position to refuse my request."

"Why's that?" Cyrus challenged.

"Because I am a member of the Conner family." Toshiro answered, showing Cyrus the seal of the Conner family as proof. Cyrus' eyes widened even more, if that was even possible. Cyrus closed his eyes for a few brief seconds before opening them, and clutching his arms behind his back.

"Very well. Follow me." Cyrus turned around and walked through the hall of his house, Toshiro following. He certainly wasn't expecting to need to use his telekinesis like that, but that man looked determined. Which could only mean one thing; whatever this old man was hiding, it was big. Until they reached the living room, Cyrus and Toshiro didn't say a word. Cyrus went to an old looking armchair and sat down in it. He pointed at a sofa in front of him, so Toshiro sat down. There were a few tense seconds of silence, and Toshiro dared not say a word.

"You don't look like a Conner." Cyrus finally said.

"That's because I'm a distant cousin of the Conner family. I was adopted into the family but uh…my father died and there was nobody else to look after me, so I was sent to live here." Toshiro answered, trying to recall the backstory Ren came up with.

"Ah, yes. I've heard about you from the villagers. The Japanese boy, right?"

"That's me."

"My condolences."

"Huh?"

"Your father."

"Oh, uh, thanks." Toshiro said quickly, trying his best to look honest. Usually, he was calm and collected, especially when it came to interrogations and, if need be, lying. But, around this man, Toshiro could feel his nerves shaking. This man, and this house, was seriously creeping him out. There was another silence.

"So?"

"What?"

"Didn't you say you had some questions to ask me?" Cyrus said. "Or are you just here to waste my time?"

"No, of course not." Toshiro insisted. "Sir." He added as an afterthought, remembering what Zena said about being polite.

"You want to know about the Lady Jane Institute, don't you?" Toshiro nodded. "That is not an easy subject for me. Those patients…they truly were the worst of the worst. Some of them were damaged beyond repair. Others were 'cured' and left even more broken than before." Cyrus placed a hand over his eyes. "It's really taken a toll on me."

"I noticed." Toshiro muttered, certain that Cyrus couldn't hear him.

"But the most difficult patient I ever saw was unbelievable. They occupied almost every single staff member, withstood every kind of treatment we threw at them and got the attention of the villages. All this fuss…" Cyrus peered through his fingers at Toshiro. "For a little girl."

"C12." Toshiro said. Cyrus nodded. "Look." Toshiro slid the file across the coffee table for Cyrus to look at. "I found this. It says next to nothing about C12. I assumed you had the rest."

"I do." Cyrus said, reading through the little information Toshiro had on C12. "Where is the photograph?"

"It must have fallen out." Toshiro lied.

"Well, it doesn't matter. C12 will look almost nothing like the photograph now. It's been six years. She'll be eighteen years old by now." Cyrus pushed himself out of the armchair, which groaned and creaked in response. He ambled towards some shelves, flicking through all the books and papers wedged inside it. "C12 certainly was interesting. But, she didn't seem insane to me. If anything, she was scared. Very scared. She had just been through Hell, and she was shut away for reasons she didn't understand. I tried to persuade the higher ups to release her, but Altair was having none of it."

"Altair?" Toshiro repeated.

"Yes. In the villages, his word is law. He always believed that C12 was insane, despite her release after several months. It was at that point that the Hell hole we called a hospital became a joke to me. So…I let the secrets we kept buried out."

"And you stepped down as director and shut yourself away." Toshiro finished for him.

"You're a bright one, aren't you?" Cyrus pulled some sheets of paper out of the bookshelf and started skim reading them.

"But why was C12 in that hospital to begin with?" Toshiro asked.

"As I said, she had just been through Hell. I don't know the details, but apparently, there was an incident with an arsonist. A lot of property was damaged, and a lot of people died. That girl was one of the few survivors. She was right there when she saw those people get burnt alive."

"That's awful…" Toshiro said quietly. Hearing those words reminded him of the visions he had. He could easily recall the smell of humans being burnt alive, and immediately understood how difficult and scary it must have been for C12. No wonder she was so scared of the mental hospital.

"But the interesting thing is…she had no recollection of the events that took place." Cyrus put the papers back and got out another bunch, and skim read those, too. "In fact, she couldn't remember an entire fortnight. She had her connections with the villages, so when she was released, the village heads did everything they could to hide that fortnight from her for fear that she would remember."

"The Blank Fortnight!" Toshiro realised. So that was why he couldn't find any records of the Blank Fortnight. It totally made sense!

"I see you're familiar with it." Cyrus said nonchalantly. "But based on your reaction, I guess the Conner family didn't fill you in."

"Of course not. I may be a member of the family, but I'm still considered an outsider."

"Oh, well. You know now." Cyrus turned back around and slowly walked back to his armchair. He placed some sheets of wrinkled paper on the coffee table, which Toshiro took. "There are the missing pages. How the village heads didn't notice they were missing, I'll never know."

"Thanks." Toshiro started to read through the files. There was still no real name for C12, but at least he could find the reasons why she was there.

"Although, I can't say that I feel sorry for the victims."

"Huh?" That sentence was more than enough to bring Toshiro's attention away from the sheets of paper. Cyrus had gone to the window and moved aside a moth-bitten white sheet of a curtain to look out the window.

"I don't sympathise with those foolish youngsters one bit. They knew the whole time that they were playing with fire, yet they persisted. And that Thornton man did nothing to stop his daughter." Cyrus pulled the curtains shut and spun around to face Toshiro, anger evident on his face. "Her father is _NOT _a nice man!" Cyrus suddenly quietened. "And she is not a nice girl."

"…" Toshiro said nothing, feeling that Cyrus' words alone were answering some questions. He was right to come here.

"I do not feel pity for them. For anybody in the Thornton family." Toshiro's eyes widened after hearing that name, and Cyrus noticed this, so he continued. "I'm sure you know about the Thornton family."

"Yes. They are the head family of Redwood."

"Correct. All five villages loathed the Thornton family and most of the villagers in Redwood. Despised them, even. But, they ruled with an iron fist, and nobody dared oppose them. They spent a lot of their time tormenting that girl." Cyrus pointed at the papers Toshiro still held in his hand, which Toshiro had somehow almost completely forgotten about. Toshiro immediately went back to reading them. It seemed like the daughter of the Thornton family had become a victim of arson, along with some friends of hers, and C12 was the only survivor. Concluding that that was the only logical explanation he could think of so far, Toshiro finally got to the diagnostics page. "The moment the Thornton daughter died, their family fell, and the villages were freed from their grip. Any businesses they owned were divided up equally between the remaining village heads." Toshiro looked up from the papers, feeling that this needed his full attention. "But, they were still grief-stricken at the loss. Many people had lost their neighbours. Their families. And, even, their friends. So, they vowed that their memory would not be forgotten."

"And that's why they have the anniversary." Toshiro said.

"Smarter than you look." Cyrus said, confirming what Toshiro said. Toshiro turned his attention back to the information on C12 once again.

"Amnesia, survivors' guilt…" Toshiro read aloud. "Panic attacks, hallucinations, violent outbursts, post-traumatic stress disorder…possible schizophrenia?!" Toshiro almost exclaimed the last one. "Good Lord, this girl is a basket case."

"That's no way to speak of your cousin." Cyrus said cryptically.

"I know, but I can't deny that fact that…" Toshiro stopped himself mid-sentence, doing a mental backspace and thinking about what Cyrus just said. "Hold on…" Toshiro placed the papers on the table, just barely stopping his hands from shaking. He looked at Cyrus, a look that was a mix of horror and disbelief on his face. He didn't want to believe it, but it was true. The evidence was there. "What did you say?" Toshiro asked, wanting to confirm what he thought Cyrus said, and silently praying that he misheard.

"I said…that's no way to speak of your cousin." Cyrus repeated. Toshiro's heart sank. He had heard correctly

"You mean…"

"Yes." Cyrus nodded. "When making the codename, we took the initial of her last name, and added her age at the time she came into the institute."

"No…" Toshiro muttered. He remembered picking up the prescription bottle of pills. He remembered the sudden headaches. He remembered learning about the amnesia.

"I'm amazed you don't know about this." Cyrus continued, completely ignoring the horror on Toshiro's face.

"…" Toshiro felt his back burn a little, and the vision he had a few days ago flashed before his eyes. It was the girl standing in the flames. The long, blonde hair. The lower school uniform of King's. It was definitely that vision. But, it carried on. As the flames flickered, the girl started to turn around. Then, she was turned around enough for Toshiro to see her face. She was looking straight at him, as if she knew that he was there. It was unsmiling, but it wasn't angry or sad. It just looked neutral. Empty. Her face was pale. Her blue eyes were almost lifeless. It was C12.

"The true identity of C12…" Cyrus said, as if knowing Toshiro would want the confirmation of what he had already figured out to be said out loud, even if the truth was horrifying to him. "Is Ren Conner."

"No, it can't be!" Toshiro shook his head, stubbornly refusing to believe that Ren was insane. Not Ren. Not that cheerful, optimistic girl. Not the best friend he could ever ask for.

"It's true, Toshiro." Toshiro didn't need to look behind his to know that Zena had appeared sitting next to him on the sofa. Toshiro glanced at her. She wasn't smiling, and her voice didn't carry the same sing song cheerfulness that was so different yet so similar to Ren's. "I realised it the moment I saw her picture. She looks almost exactly like I did when I was twelve."

"?" Toshiro noticed how the picture had suddenly appeared in the folder, a tiny corner sticking out. Toshiro pulled it out and looked at the picture of the pale, gloomy little girl.

"Look into her eyes and tell me that isn't Ren." Zena said. So, Toshiro did. He looked the picture of C12 straight in her eyes. The eyes looked back. Toshiro instantly felt a wave of recognition pass over him. This girl was significantly paler and skinnier than Ren, and her hair was much longer than Ren's, but he couldn't deny it any longer. The eyes truly were the window to the soul. C12's carried tones of sadness, anger and resignation. But, they also had a spark of determination to them. A spark of life. The same spark he saw in Ren's eyes. He couldn't deny it, no matter how much he wanted to. C12 is Ren, and Ren was C12.

"You're right." Toshiro said quietly. He closed his eyes and placed the picture back with the file and sheets of paper. "You're right." He said again, resignation and sadness evident in his voice.

"I'm sorry, kid." Cyrus said, feeling an odd hint of sympathy for this white haired boy.

"No, it's…it's okay. I'm glad you told me." Toshiro stacked the papers together and placed them all in the file. He had got the information he needed. It turns out Zena was right. The truth really was too much for him to handle. He picked up the folder and stood up. "Thank you for sharing your knowledge with me." Toshiro walked slowly towards the door, it creaked open and then creaked shut behind him with Zena simply floating through it, leaving Cyrus alone with his thoughts.

"Hey, kid, wait!" Cyrus said loudly, opening the door. Toshiro stopped walking up the path and turned to look at him. Toshiro felt so down trodden right now, he didn't even have the heart to correct him and say he wasn't a kid. "Just…Don't try to find the village of Redwood. If you feel this disheartened about this, then you haven't seen anything yet."

"Why?" Toshiro asked.

"I cannot say."

"…" Toshiro looked away and started to walk again.

"But…" Toshiro stopped. "You should know that…that Ren isn't the only one we're protecting."

"Goodbye, old man." Toshiro said. He walked up the path, out of the gate, down the road and out of sight. Zena floated with him, confident that nobody would be able to see her.

"Well…That went better than I thought. It looks like some of your questions have been answered." Zena said, trying to lighten the mood. Toshiro said nothing, continuing to trudge the way he came. "I mean, we found out that the Thornton family were not very well liked, and the fall of their family was pretty much a celebration for all five villages. The anniversary is to commemorate the ones who died in that arson, and Ren is the sole survivor of that incident." Zena stopped mid-way through summarising what they found out after Toshiro still didn't give a response.

"Why?" Toshiro said. He looked up at Zena. He didn't look sad, or angry. Instead, he almost looked betrayed. "Why didn't you tell me you knew who C12 was?"

"Because…" Zena looked away. "Because I didn't want it to be true." She answered, sadness evident in her voice and face. "And I knew you wouldn't want to believe it, either."

"…" Toshiro turned away. He had forgotten that he wasn't the only one who was feeling the strain of this investigation. Zena must be feeling something too. After all, the girl in the middle of it all was her mirror image. It was hard not to feel something for somebody who looked and acted just like you. Of course, Toshiro wouldn't understand fully, since he had never met the person he was reincarnated from face to face. He felt something cool drip onto his hand. "Eh?" Toshiro looked at it. It was a drop of water. Another drop landed next to it. And another. Toshiro looked up at the sky. The clouds were a dark grey and almost completely obscured the blue sky from view. Toshiro felt another drop land on his face, barely missing his eye.

"Huh. It's raining." Zena said nonchalantly.

"Damn it!" Toshiro ran off the side of the road and into the trees lining it, hoping they would shelter him. It was useless. Cursing, Toshiro ran through the fields, completely ignoring the road and trying to find someplace he could escape from the rain. But, there was nothing and nobody in sight. So, he just ran through the fields as the drops became even more numerous, until it turned to a shower, then rain, and then a torrential downpour. Within minutes, Toshiro could feel his shirt get wet. If he stayed out here any longer, he was sure to catch his death of cold. But, he found no need to despair. There was a thick forest up ahead. Perfect!

"In here!" Zena beckoned a gap in the trees. Toshiro immediately ran through, and sure enough, he could no longer feel the rain beating at his skin and clothes. He ran through the trees and onto a dirt path, placing his hands on his knees to get his breath back. "That was close."

"Yeah." Toshiro said, squeezing some water out of his shirt.

"Is the file wet?"

"A little." Toshiro flicked some water off it. "Zena, could you hold onto this?"

"Sure." Zena took the folder out of Toshiro's hand and placed it inside her school blazer. Toshiro looked around his surroundings, flicking some water out of his hair.

"Where are we?"

"I'm not sure." Zena answered, landing on the ground beside Toshiro. "Ren's never been here before."

"Me neither. But…it still looks kind of familiar." Toshiro looked up at the sky. He couldn't see any clouds, or even any sky. The trees were so thick; the sky was completely obscured from view, like the red leaves were more a ceiling than leaves. Hang on. Red leaves?

"Is this…" Toshiro looked around his surroundings again. "It is. This is the forest Harley told me about. I shouldn't be here!" Toshiro saw an exit to his left and made a dash for it, but after seeing the heavy rain, he stopped. "Forget that." Toshiro turned back around and went back to Zena, who hadn't moved from that spot.

"So, I guess we're staying here until the rain passes."

"Looks like it." Toshiro said. "Hey, wait a minute, the rain just passes through you."

"Oh, yeah!" Zena said, tapping a fist on her palm.

"Idiot." Toshiro grumbled, walking down the dirt path.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to try and see why everyone is so afraid of this place."

"Good call." Zena floated after Toshiro until she was by his side, landed on the ground and walked beside him. Footsteps approached the entrance of the forest, but Toshiro and Zena didn't hear them. The person making them walked past the clearing, and stopped as soon as she saw somebody walking up the path. It was Katelyn, and she had just come from school, dressed in her school uniform and carrying a school bag on her back. She held a purple umbrella in her hand. She squinted down the path, trying to make out the person.

"Toshiro?" Katelyn looked left and right, and upon being reassured that nobody else was here, she jogged lightly into the forest, sticking to the trees so that she wouldn't be seen and shaking off excess water from her umbrella.

"As I was saying earlier, a lot of our questions have already been answered." Zena said, not noticing their spy.

"It would seem so." Toshiro agreed. "What doesn't make sense is why I saw a twelve year old Ren in my vision. Unless…"

"Unless what?"

"Zena, what if, and bear with me on this…what if they weren't visions of the future?"

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that, maybe, the visions I've been seeing these past few days weren't of the future…but the past."

"The past…of course!" Zena said, snapping her fingers.

"Eh? Am I right?" Toshiro asked, surprised that his crazy theory was correct.

"Yes, you are!" Zena said happily. She hovered down to Toshiro and clutched his shoulders, making him stop in his tracks. "You've just unlocked another of Ryuki's abilities!"

"Another one?! Geez, how many powers does this guy have?!"

"I'm guessing you'll want an explanation." Toshiro nodded. "Very well." Zena hovered up into the air and floated beside Toshiro as he carried on walking. "Back when Ryuki was still a soldier, he had limited use of his Ice Shackles, but they still make him formidable. He earned the nickname The White Dragon shortly after he became a captain. But, that was a second nickname. Before that, he was known as The Time Master."

"Why's that?" Toshiro asked.

"Because Ryuki's abilities gave him control over all three elements of time. With his Ice Shackles, he could freeze the present. As you already know, he would experience visions of the future, and he had trained it so that he could have most visions willingly. And, as you have just found out, he could see into the past, and sometimes…" Zena floated in front of Toshiro, her face serious. "He could enter it."

"Enter the past?"

"Yes. He'd only be a spirit, so he could not interfere with the past. But, if he had enough strength and willpower, then he could interact with the past whenever he wanted."

"The Time Master, huh?" Toshiro muttered. "So that's why I had those visions, then. I was seeing into the past." Toshiro remembered the deceptively innocent diary from the storage room. "Like that diary."

"When you first experienced this power, I was surprised that you passed out, since that had never happened whenever you saw into the future. It's only now that you've brought it up that I realise why it happened." Zena floated up by Toshiro's side again. "Do you remember what happened before you passed out?"

"Yes. Ren was leaving to see Altair, and she had a headache. She brushed against me, my back burned and…and that's it."

"In that moment when you made contact with Ren, you saw what was going through Ren's mind at the time. In other words, you saw her forgotten past. It was your first time seeing into the past, and the emotions and images you saw and experienced were so shocking, and so damaging, that you blacked out."

"And that's why Ren sees Altair. He's making sure that Ren's forgotten past stays forgotten!" Toshiro realised. After days of investigating, everything was finally starting to fit together.

"Precisely." Zena confirmed.

"And the anniversary is meant to be in memory of everyone who died in that arson incident. The death of the village head's daughter benefited everybody, yet they still wanted to commemorate their lives. If that old man's word is anything to go by, then the daughter must have tormented Ren in some way. Yet, Ren was right there when she died." Toshiro slowed his walk down a little as he went back onto his train of thought. "Now, there are only a few more questions left to answer."

"And they are…" Zena trailed off.

"Why was Ren there when the village head's daughter died? What did she do to Ren? Who is that ghost I saw in the village tunnels? And, most importantly, where is Redwood?"

"And you don't have long. The anniversary is in less than two days."

"Tell me something I don't know."

_Who is he talking to? And what is he talking about?_ Katelyn thought, hearing Toshiro's voice from a distance, but not quite making out what he was saying. She thought she saw something blurry flitting around him, but that must have been just her eyes playing tricks on her. The again, with this business with White Raven, Katelyn logically concluded that this must be some kind of spirit he was talking. Although, right now, she didn't really care. She just wanted Toshiro to get out of this forest!

"I'll see what I can find once I get back to Ren's house, depending on how long this rain lasts. Maybe I can-Ngh!" Toshiro flinched and stopped walking.

"Toshiro?" Zena immediately went in front of Toshiro, concern written all over her face. "What's wrong?"

"?" Katelyn noticed this strange behaviour. This time, she was close enough to hear what Toshiro was saying.

"My back…It's burning…" Toshiro answered in a pained hiss. "There's something Cielvian here."

_Okay…You sensed something bad._ Katelyn thought. _Now…walk away._

"Are you alright?"

"I'll…I'll be fine." Toshiro answered. Toshiro straightened himself up and carried on walking, going straight through Zena as a result.

"Hey, that tickled!" Zena protested, floating after him.

_Damn it!_ Katelyn thought, frustrated. She continued to follow Toshiro, and the invisible being, through the forest, being sure to stick to the tree line and make as little noise as possible.

"And did you say you sensed something Cielvian here?" Zena asked.

"Yes. I felt it in the tunnel. Every time I'm halfway to getting to Redwood through there, my back gets so hot, I have to stop until it settles a little." Toshiro flinched again, but managed to suppress it well. "And the further up this path we go, the more my back burns."

"What do you mean, Toshiro?" Zena asked, still not following Toshiro's thinking.

"I mean that-"

_Clang!_

"Huh?" Toshiro stopped walking and looked down at his foot. The surface felt strange. It didn't feel gritty of have any ground up pebbles or dirt underneath it. It felt…smooth. Toshiro stomped his foot again. There was another metallic clang. Toshiro removed his foot from it and kneeled down on the ground, inspecting this strange object.

"What is that?" Zena asked, her hands on her knees.

"I'm not sure." Toshiro answered, trying to turn it over. He succeeded, but it was clearly futile. The other side was burnt and dusty beyond recognition. But, he could tell from the look of it that it was a sign. "I think it's a sign. But, I can't make out what it says." Then, he had a plan come to mind immediately. "Zena, do you think you could use your healing power on this sign?"

"Restore what is lost…" Zena muttered. "Toshiro, you're brilliant!" Zena immediately kneeled down on the ground. "Right, then." Zena's hand glowed the familiar healing glow, and she placed it on the sign. Katelyn, meanwhile, was dreading what Toshiro would find on that sign.

"Anything?" Toshiro asked, noticing how the sign didn't look any different.

"It's tough…" Zena said, her voice a little strained from the effort. "There seems to be something interfering with the process. Like…Like it's meant to be destroyed. I'll try it in a bigger burst." Zena's hand glowed even brighter, and all of the dust and burn marks seemed to literally burst off the sign, and it was good as new. Zena wiped some sweat from her ghostly forehead and read the sign. She gasped.

"I knew it." Toshiro said. "Like I said before, Zena, I felt the Cielvian presence in the tunnels, and now I'm feeling it here. It can't be a coincidence. It can only mean one thing; this path leads to Redwood. And…" Toshiro indicated the sign, which read 'Welcome to Redwood' clear as day. "I was right."

"Redwood is here?"

"Yes. The Hidden Village. Redwood." Toshiro stood up and looked straight down the path. "We've found it."

"By accident, no less." Zena added cheerfully. Zena noticed from the corner of her eye how the sign had a glowing outline that was the same colour as her healing aura, and within seconds, the damage was back, making the sign unreadable once again. "But, why did this happen?"

"I'm sure we'll find the answers when we get to the village. Come on." Toshiro walked further up the path, but at a much brisker pace. It was happening. He had finally found the mysterious village he had heard so much about, yet knew so little about it. All he knew was that there was nobody in the village that anybody liked, and the head family of Redwood bore most of the hatred. But, based on what Cyrus said about them, Toshiro wouldn't be surprised if the Thornton's didn't care about the hatred they received. After all, they were confident that nobody would go against them. That is, until that arsonist killed some Redwood citizens, the Thornton daughter among them. Now, all he had to do was find out how the Thornton child and Ren were connected. He would ask her himself, but that's impossible because, well, she's dead. And since Soul Reapers didn't really exist here, he saw no way of communicating with the spirits. It had been six years; they must have passed on by now. Besides, that ghost in the tunnel didn't have a chain attached to her chest, so if there were ghosts in this world, then they were obviously very different to the ones he was used to.

"Well, I'm sure the answers will come soon enough." Toshiro said out loud.

"Yeah, especially with the progress you've made." Zena quipped in happily. She noticed Toshiro flinching again. "Is your back burning again?"

"Uh huh." Toshiro answered, but that didn't stop his pacing down the path, and it didn't stop Katelyn from following them, either. And, she could still hear every word Toshiro was saying. "The Cielvian presence is getting stronger."

_Turn around. Turn around! _Katelyn thought as if trying to will Toshiro to walk away from this forbidden territory.

"It means we're getting closer, then." Zena said.

"Let's keep moving." Toshiro, undeterred, carried on walking, sensing that the mystery might finally be put to rest if he could just find the village and aske the citizens there about the anniversary. And after seeing a turning up ahead, Toshiro knew that he would get those answers. He almost ran up the rest of the path, and he turned the corner, ready to face the villagers and get them to answer his questions.

But, Toshiro never got the chance. He couldn't do it. Because, when he got around the corner, when he reached the lost village of Redwood, the scene before him had to be one of the most horrific things he had ever seen. And, he had no way of finding out what happened, or of finding out the answers to his other questions. There was simply nobody to ask. And so, as Toshiro entered the edge of the village, he completely froze on the spot, a look of unimaginable horror on his face. Nothing had, or could have, prepared him for this. Not for the sight of Redwood.

Or rather, what was left of it.

"What…" Zena started, staring at the sight before her and Toshiro, and speaking what Toshiro was too horrified to say out loud. "What is this?" She said quietly. What should have been an English village was just a scene of destruction. Everywhere Zena looked, all she could see was destroyed buildings, burnt grass, dead ground and plants, and the foul smell of burnt wood and some other smell Zena couldn't identify. All this destruction expanding through this huge clearing in the forest, and the only things that remained untouched from this were the trees surrounding the village. And, even then, Zena noticed how some of the tree trunks were splattered with blood. Just like Toshiro's vision of the past. Toshiro and Zena were off. Way off. The arsonist didn't kill a few people. They burnt down an entire village!

"This…It couldn't be…Is it…Redwood?" Toshiro said quietly.

"And what's that smell? It smells like…meat."

"It does." Toshiro agreed, knowing that it might not be meat that Zena and Toshiro had just smelt. He could vaguely recall the memory he saw in that doctor's office, and the sights and senses he experienced. The smell of burnt human flesh stood out the most to him, and this putrid smell was exactly the same as in the vision. He smelt the deaths of hundreds of people! "What the hell happened here?!" Toshiro yelled, staggering back, but stopped when he felt the heel of his shoe step on something. Something round and quite squishy. "Eh?" Toshiro turned around, and immediately regretted it. There, lying on the ground, was the body of a man. Or, what was supposed to be a man; the body was burnt so badly, Toshiro couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman, since the skin on the face was burnt clean off, as was the hair. In fact, the skin was so burnt that Toshiro could see traces of muscle tissue and even a few glimpses of bone every now and again. It was a corpse. And he had just stepped on its arm!

"UWAAAAAAAAAAHH!" Toshiro yelled, staggering back from the corpse. He wanted to look away. He tried to look away. But he couldn't. He just couldn't tear his eyes away from that corpse. That burnt, smelly corpse. He had dealt with dead people before, but not like this. Never like this! Just looking at it and catching its scent made Toshiro's stomach churn. He could feel the bile building up inside him, threatening to burst out at any minute. "Mhmf." Toshiro immediately clamped his hands over his mouth, resisting the overwhelming urge to vomit. He finally managed to turn his back to the corpse, but the image was still clear in his mind.

_Alright, calm down._ Toshiro thought to himself. _Pull yourself together. You're a Captain. You can handle this. You have to find out why this happened. Just calm down!_ Toshiro closed his eyes tightly, literally swallowing his nerves, and when he was confident that he wasn't going to be sick anymore, he removed his hands from his mouth and planted them on his knees, gulping down fresh air and trying not to faint.

"Everything was going so well."

"!" Toshiro straightened up and turned around sharply. Katelyn was standing in the path to the destroyed village, wearing a sad yet shocked expression on her face.

"All you had to do was go about your life." She said sadly. "Why? Why couldn't you stay away, Toshiro?"

**Redwood is destroyed! The anniversary is to remember its destruction! But, how did it get destroyed? Did Ren see who did it? The answers to this mystery will come next time, only here in Fate and Destiny. I'll see you then!**


	31. The Redwood Reaper

**Welcome back, everybody! So far, Toshiro has discovered the terrible secret about Redwood; it was destroyed! But why was it covered up? Better yet, how did it get destroyed? The answers to these questions, and maybe a few more, will be answered in this chapter. So, sit back and enjoy the ride!**

Chapter 29

The Redwood Reaper

Toshiro just wanted to leave that place. Anyone would want to escape after what he had just seen. A burnt down village. Equally burnt corpses. Blood on the trees. It made him sick! But, that wasn't the worst part, if anyone can believe that. The worst part was Katelyn's reaction. It was like she knew the state of Redwood for a long time. It was like everyone knew. They knew there was a destroyed village full of corpses! Right after Katelyn asked him 'Why?' Toshiro felt as if it was either fight or flight.

So, he flew.

He ran back down the path, leaving Katelyn and the village behind.

He ran out of the forest, not noticing when the rain soaked him to the skin, and even if he did notice, he wouldn't have cared.

He ran down the road between the villages, not daring to look behind him.

He ran through Hazelford, and only momentarily felt relieved when he saw Ren's house.

He ran to her house, slamming the door behind him and bolting it shut. But, for some reason, Toshiro felt it wasn't enough. So, he ignored Ren's greeting to welcome him home, dashed up the stairs and, as soon as he got into his bedroom, he slammed the door shut. He finally felt safe. Toshiro slid onto his knees and rested his forehead against the door, gasping for breath and with his hands still against the door, like he was making sure the door was really shut. But, for now, he knew he was alone. Zena had vanished as soon as he started to run, although he had no idea how he noticed that in his blind panic. That's good. At least only two people saw him like that. Wait…Ren greeted him when he got in. Make that three.

_What the hell did I just see?_ Toshiro thought, turning around so that his back rested against the door. _Those buildings…That body…Was that Redwood?_ The image of that burnt corpse flashed in front of his eyes. He felt sick again. Quickly, he dashed up and flung the window open, sticking his head out and swallowing fresh air until the feeling went away. He let the rain fall on his head. It felt cool, and it was calming him down a little.

"Shiro?"

"…" Toshiro continued to stare through the rain at the faint outlines of the houses and that village hall. He didn't need to turn around to know who was there. The voice and the nickname gave it away. And when he closed the window, there she was in the reflection, wearing her yellow t-shirt with three pink butterflies on the front and jeans, standing bare-footed at his door and looking…concerned? Confused? Or maybe a little of both?

"What happened, Shiro?" Ren asked. Toshiro didn't answer. He just kept looking out the window, his hands resting on the windowsill and his hair dripping rainwater all over it from all the countless spikes on his head. "That's alright. We can talk about it later, if you want. You need to get out of those clothes before you catch something."

"I found Redwood." Toshiro said, still not turning around.

"Eh?" Ren blinked a couple of times in surprise. "You did?"

"Yeah. At least…what was left of it."

"Huh? Shiro, what are you talking about?"

"Redwood has been destroyed. It was burnt to the ground, taking everyone with it." Toshiro's hands clenched into fists on the windowsill. "And they covered it up."

"Well, I guess it's good that you've made progress and all, but why are you telling me this?"

"Because you were there."

"What? No, I wasn't." After hearing this confused denial, something inside Toshiro snapped. Before he could stop himself, he was suddenly lashing out at Ren, unleashing all of his pent up frustrations and stress that he had accumulated over the past few days.

"Of course you were!" Toshiro yelled, spinning around to face her. "I have proof you were right there when Redwood was burnt down! You even went to a mental hospital after that! The villagers pretended it never happened because they didn't want a head family member to be insane!"

"Shiro, I think you're stressing yourself out with this investigating. Now, there are probably some towels in your wardrobe. Hold on, I'll get them." Ren opened the wardrobe doors and reached up to the top shelf, but a tight grip stopped her. Toshiro had grabbed her wrist, paying no attention to how tightly he was holding her.

"Don't change the subject, Ren! Or should I say Ren 'The Gills' Conner?!"

"I don't know what you're saying. Let me go, please!"

"Don't lie to me! You were in a swimming team six years ago, and you were the only one who could swim underwater the longest! And that's just the tip of the iceberg! You had failing grades, you were tormented by a member of the head families and their villagers, and you were the survivor of the arsonist attack on the village!"

"Shiro, you're hurting me!" Ren tried to pull Toshiro off her arm, but he kept his grip firm and strong.

"Why are you still denying what happened?! Because of amnesia?! I think you just don't want to tell me!"

"No, I really don't know! Now, get off me!"

"Why are you keeping me in the dark?!"

"I said get off!" Acting out of pure instinct, Ren's telekinesis pushed Toshiro across the room, forcing him to let go of Ren, and causing Ren to immediately feel regret for her actions. Toshiro landed on the floor, and Ren took this opportunity to rub her arm. After he landed on the ground, Toshiro almost felt a jolt run through him, and all of a sudden, his anger vanished. At the same time, he realised what he had just done. He sat up and looked at Ren, who almost flinched and partially turned away from him, her arms up as though she was trying to put a wall between them. Toshiro saw the red marking he had made on Ren's arm, and understood why Ren was acting like this. It was him. He was the reason Ren was looking at him with fearful eyes. Once again, Toshiro had gone back on his promise. He had hurt Ren again. He had to apologise. Now!

"Ren…I…I'm…" Toshiro stammered. He couldn't even say the words. What was wrong with him?! "Ren, I didn't-"

"Sorry about that, Shiro." Ren interrupted. "You scared me a little, and I just…I didn't mean to use my telekinesis on you."

"…" Toshiro was baffled. Why was Ren apologising? He's the one who should be apologising. This is all wrong! "It's okay, I…I deserved it." Toshiro said, deciding to accept Ren's unnecessary apology. After all, it was a habit of hers. "But…You know that I would never hurt you."

"Well, ya did." Ren said bluntly.

"I know." Toshiro said, looking away.

"Look, you've obviously spent too long on this case, and it may have loosened a few screws in your head and stressed you out." Toshiro looked back at Ren after hearing this. "Think about it. Some of the evidence you found has to be fake. I mean, if I could really swim underwater for ages, don't you think I'd be able to do that now?"

"…" Toshiro said nothing. Ren was right. She really would be able to swim underwater if the swimming team fact was true. In fact, she'd probably be able to do it for even longer. But, Toshiro knew first-hand that Ren could NOT hold her breath. It would have killed her if Toshiro hadn't dived into that lake to save her.

"Listen, Shiro." Ren started. "I don't know what you found out, but you have to be wrong. I may lie to my teachers to avoid detention or to explain why my homework is late. I may even lie to my parents so I don't get banned from my Xbox. But, I would never lie to my friends. And I would never lie to you. Shiro…" Ren got down on her knees in front of Toshiro and looked him straight into his eyes. "I don't know anything about Redwood."

"…" After hearing this, Toshiro knew she was right. Ren was the most honest person he knew. And he could tell she was telling the truth. It was written in her eyes, which were looking straight into his own. Ren hated looking into other people's eyes. If she was lying, she would do everything in her power to avoid making eye contact with him. She must be telling the truth, even if the evidence Toshiro found says otherwise. So, despite the evidence, Toshiro decided he was going to believe Ren. "I believe you." Toshiro said.

"Okay." Ren immediately stood up, breaking eye contact. "Now, you should change into something dry before you catch a cold."

"My powers are ice based. I can't catch a…a…AH-TCHOO!" Toshiro was cut off when he suddenly sneezed. "Eh?"

"My point exactly." Ren said, cracking her usual smile. "There weren't any towels in the wardrobe, so I'll get some from the airing cupboard. Brb!" With that, Ren trotted off, humming to herself. Toshiro counted himself lucky that Ren was forgiving. He sat in the middle of his room cross-legged. Ren must have been lying. So then, why did all the signs say she was telling the truth? Was it her amnesia? Maybe, if she remembered, Ren would be able to know exactly what happened. Toshiro saw Zena appear in his room. She started to smile but, after considering the proper response to this situation, decided to frown.

"Who do you think burnt down the village?" Zena asked.

"I don't know." Toshiro answered. "I don't think I'll ever know." He remembered clearly what Cyrus said about Redwood having many enemies, which felt like lifetimes ago even though it was less than an hour. "Everyone is a suspect."

"But somebody does know." Zena pointed out, and Toshiro knew exactly what she meant. He knew who and what Zena was talking about. And, even though it went against everything he had promised, he knew what he had to do.

"It looks like I don't have a choice, Zena." Toshiro said, reluctance evident in the tone of his voice. "I'm going to have to take Ren to Redwood."

…

6th March, 2pm, Redwood forest (1 day until the anniversary)

"Wow, there's a forest here?" Ichigo said, amazed as he walked through the forest, marvelling at the beauty of the trees.

"I've never seen anything like it." Rukia stared up at the leaves covering the sunny sky. "It's almost like stained glass."

"Yeah." Renji agreed.

"Alright, everybody, listen." Toshiro said, bringing everybody's attention to him. The Soul Reapers gathered around, ready to hear what the young Captain had to say. "On the other end of this path is a village left in ruin, so prepare for the worst. I've seen it myself, and it's only fair to warn you of what might be inside the village."

"What happened to it?" Rangiku asked. Toshiro hesitated before answering, unable to shake the images he saw the previous day out of his head.

"It was burnt down by an arsonist." Toshiro said matter-of-factly, and was not surprised by the reactions the Soul Reapers gave him. "Apparently, there were survivors. But, I've only found one."

"And that's why Ren's here." Ichigo said, indicating Ren, who had no idea about the conversation going on. She was too busy looking up at the trees and taking pictures of the beautiful leaves on her camera phone to care. She was also dressed in a completely different outfit to the colourful one before. She simply wore blue jeans, a red long sleeved top with a navy and grey cotton varsity jacket and beige Uggs, with her hair hanging loose as usual.

"Correct." Toshiro nodded. "Ren remembers nothing about what happened here. I'm hoping that investigating the ruins will jog her memory about what happened to the village, and to why she's left out of the loop about the anniversary. But, don't say this out loud to her. She'd only get suspicious. You can ask her about the village, but do not mention anything about arson, fire or any other words like that. She has to remember that on her own."

"Right." The Soul Reapers nodded.

"Hey, guys! Can you believe this place?! It's G-O-R-geous!"

"Remember; not a word." Toshiro repeated in a hushed whisper. Everybody turned to Ren, looking as innocent as possible as she trotted over to them.

"You're looking innocent." She remarked casually, never losing her smile. "So, what're we doing here?"

"Well, Toshiro found this place while escaping the rain, and he uh…he thought it would be a good idea to explore it a little."

"That's Captain Hitsugaya."

"Explore?" Ren repeated, her face falling. "You mean…go inside?"

"Yeah. Doesn't that sound fun?!" Rangiku said cheerfully.

"…" Ren said nothing, looking very worried.

"Well, let's go." Renji marched off down the path. "We won't get anything done standing here." Rukia was quick to follow Renji, followed by Ichigo, Rangiku and Toshiro.

"So, Ren." Toshiro started. "Have you ever been in this forest before? You must have been curious about it." No response. "Ren did you-" Toshiro turned around, and realised that Ren wasn't behind him like he thought. In fact, she was walking back up the way they came. "Hey! Hey! Hey, hey, hey, hey!" Toshiro yelled, running to Ren and grabbing her shoulder, stopping her. Ren looked over to Toshiro, an innocent expression on her face. "Ren, the others are this way." Toshiro said, pointing down the path where the retreating backs of the Soul Reapers were.

"I know." Ren said simply. "And home is that way." Ren pointed in the opposite direction Toshiro was pointing in.

"But, we just got here."

"And we need to get out of here. I don't know if you know this, but nobody is allowed to enter this forest. It's forbidden. I went along with it, thinking we were just gonna turn around, but you obviously want to go further. I'm sorry, Shiro, but count me out."

"It won't be the same without you, though. Nothing bad is going to happen in there, I promise."

"I dunno…" Ren said hesitantly.

"I'll show you where your parent's secret chocolate stash is."

"Deal." Ren promptly walked briskly past Toshiro and towards the others. Toshiro followed, amused and surprised that his bribery worked, even if he did make it up. Food. It works every time.

"What the…Is this some kind of trick?!"

"What the hell is this?!"

"Captain!"

"Captain Hitsugaya!"

"!" After hearing those voices, Toshiro and Ren were quick to run up the rest of the path, which did not take long considering they were already halfway up the path when Toshiro had briefed the Soul Reapers. When Toshiro felt his back grow warm, he knew they were close to the village, which could only mean that the others had found the village. And their reactions to the sight were exactly the same as his.

"Toshiro…Is this really Redwood?" Ichigo asked, unable to look away from the destroyed village.

"Eh? Where?" Ren looked at what was attracting so much attention, and her expression went blank. "Oh."

"Everyone…This is Redwood." Toshiro said without looking at the others. Instead, he stared directly into the ruins of Redwood. He had to show that there was nothing to be afraid of. If he could show that he could handle it, then the others will follow suit. "Six years ago, it was burnt down by an arsonist that I suspect is part of White Raven, taking everything and everyone with it."

"Seriously?" Renji said in quiet disbelief.

"Is that…That's a body!"

"…" After Rukia said this, Toshiro knew it was that body he stepped on the other day. He tried not to think about it, but he knew for a fact that he was going to see a lot more bodies like that today.

"Nope." Ren said flatly, and she turned to walk away.

"Where do you think you're going?" Toshiro said, grabbing the back of Ren's jacket without looking.

"Sorry, Shiro, but no thanks. I choose life."

"There's nobody here, Ren. Nobody could possibly want to harm us. This place is forbidden, remember?"

"I guess…" Ren said reluctantly. Toshiro let go of her cardigan as Ren trudged inside the village. "Let's get this over with, okay?"

"She's very easily persuaded. What's your secret?" Rangiku asked Toshiro.

"For chocolate!" Ren suddenly yelled, throwing a fist up in the air and not hearing a word of what Rangiku said.

"Never mind!" Rangiku sang.

"Alright, let's go."

"Uuuu…" Ren moaned, hearing what Toshiro said. So, the group wandered into the village, following the path, or what was left of it, and looking in all directions as if expecting a half-alive person to jump out at them. Renji even had an arm around Rukia, and she clenched his hand in kind, feeling glad and reassured that Renji was there. So, they all walked through the abandoned village in nerve-wracking silence. In fact, the atmosphere was so tense, and the group was so quiet, that when some rubble of a burnt to the ground house suddenly collapsed, everyone gave a start and a yelp.

"Is anybody else as spooked as I am?" Ren asked fearfully while Toshiro approached the rubble and checked for any movement or, heaven forbid, a body.

"It's alright. There's nobody in here." Toshiro said, unable to find any bodies in the ruins of the house.

_You feel it too, right, Zena?_ Toshiro thought.

"_I do."_ Zena mentally responded. _"This place reeks of a Cielvian presence. There's no doubt about it. There are Cielvian forces at work."_

"White Raven…" Toshiro muttered, narrowing his eyes.

"Right, so this place is wrecked and everyone is dead." Ren said quickly. "Can we go home now?"

"Not yet." Toshiro answered. "We have to find out how and why this happened. Let's split up. Kuchiki, you and Ichigo investigate the northern part of the village, Rangiku has the west, and Renji will take the east-"

"And I'll take the south!" Ren interrupted loudly. "See ya!" Ren turned around and started to trot off, but Toshiro knew she fully intended to leave.

"Hold it!" Toshiro pointed his palm at Ren. Suddenly, Ren jerked to a halt. She looked over her shoulder at what was making her stop. There were small white stars shining around the scruffs of her jacket.

"How's he doing this?" Renji asked, amazed at this new power.

"Ryuki." Ichigo answered with a shrug, which seemed to be the answer to anything and everything that happened to Toshiro.

"You're not leaving here yet." Toshiro said, walking towards Ren while making sure his telekinetic grip on Ren was still strong.

"Shiro, I've noticed that your telekinesis is improving, and for that I'm proud of you. But your telekinesis is preventing me from escaping, and for that I hate you." Ren said. But, Toshiro paid it no mind, and when he reached Ren, he gripped the scruff of Ren's jacket and released his telekinetic hold on her.

"Sure you do." He said absent-mindedly. He turned to look at the others. "Alright, does everyone know what they're doing?" The Soul Reapers nodded.

"What about Ren?" Rukia asked.

"She'll be in the south of the village with me."

"Well, then you'd better take another look." Ichigo said.

"Eh?" Toshiro looked back at Ren, but she was gone. All that was left was her cardigan, which Toshiro was still holding onto. "Eeeeeeeeh?!" Toshiro exclaimed. When did this happen?! "Okay, change of plan. Renji, you're going to come with me. Kuchiki, you check the east. Is everyone clear?" Again, everyone nodded. "Alright; break!"

…

"Ren!" Renji yelled with his hands cupped around his mouth. "Ren, where are you?!"

"Damn, it's been ten minutes." Toshiro looked at the time on his phone. "I think."

"You think?"

"Well, it feels like ten minutes. My clock has stopped. Oh, well." Toshiro pocketed his phone again. "We're not going to find Ren like this." He decided. "You go that way, and I'll go…this…" Toshiro trailed off, and both Renji and Toshiro stopped walking. Ren was standing just a few metres in front of them, poised to sneak away. Ren blinked. Toshiro and Renji blinked back. Well, that certainly didn't take long.

"Uh…" Ren said, trying to think of something to get away. "Ignooooore meeeeee…" Ren said in a spooky voice, waving her hands for good measure.

"Ren, we can see you." Toshiro said flatly.

"I knew that." Ren said, her eyes shifting. "Here's my counterpoint." Without warning, Ren ran off down a wrecked street, saying 'woop woop woop woop woop woop' as she went.

"Renji, after her!"

"Right!" Renji immediately took off down the street Ren ran into. Along the way, Renji couldn't help but grimace at the burnt buildings and even the occasional blood splatter. Just what the hell was this place? "Where did that girl go?" Renji turned the corner, and saw Ren standing just ahead, staring at something that was around another corner.

_There she is…_ Renji thought.

"Oi, don't run off like that." Renji said, approaching Ren. "You don't know what might happen. The Captain will have my head if anything happened to you." Renji reached Ren, but she didn't even notice he was there. "What are you staring at?" Renji looked around at what Ren was preoccupied with. "Ah…" That's when Renji saw it. It was a dead body. But unlike the previous one at the entrance, this one only had a few burn marks on his skin. This man was balding and wore a blue shirt with a white collar, a black tie and smart trousers. But, this man wasn't killed with fire. The cause of death was clear. The man was surrounded by debris, one of which was a huge plank of wood impaled straight through his stomach, the wood stained with red blood and more surrounding the man in a wide puddle. Renji had never seen anything like it. The lifeless, dead eyes were chilling, his face was ghostly pale and was that an intestine?!

"Renji, have you found Ren?" Toshiro asked, catching up to Renji. But, Renji was transfixed, wearing a horrified expression that matched Ren's. "Wha…" Toshiro turned to see what had caught their attention. "Ugh…" Toshiro saw the body, making him recoil in disgust. But, behind the disgust, there was anger. Anger at himself. He had tried to make sure Ren didn't see any more dead bodies than the one at the entrance. Clearly, he had failed.

"…" Ren was silent, shivering at the sight before her.

"That man…" Toshiro started, narrowing his eyes a little. He seemed familiar somehow. "Is he-"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" Before Toshiro could finish that thought, Ren let out a loud and sudden scream, which snapped Renji out of his trance. Renji took this opportunity to stand in Ren's line of sight and block the corpse from view.

"Ren! Don't look!" He said urgently, trying to keep Ren calm. "Let's get away from here!"

"I HATE THIS PLACE!" Ren screamed. She turned around and ran back down the street, shoving Toshiro out of the way and slamming him on the wall of a wrecked building.

"Ren!" Renji yelled, but there was no response. Ren was gone. "Captain Hitsugaya, what are your…huh?" Renji was surprised when he saw Toshiro approach the body. Was he nuts?! "What are you doing?"

"I know this man." Toshiro responded quietly. "That is…I've seen him before."

"Who is he?" Renji asked. Toshiro looked at the corpse. The face was familiar. And so was the tie with silver flowers on it. After recollecting his memories, it didn't take Toshiro long to know who this man was.

"This man is…was…" Toshiro corrected himself. "Alex Thornton. And he was the head of Redwood."

"But what happened to him?" Renji asked, shocked.

"The better question is…" Toshiro turned around to face Renji. "Why hasn't he started to decay?"

"What?" While Renji was confused by this question, Toshiro turned back to the corpse. He got down on one knee and placed a hand on the impaled stomach, much to his and Renji's disgust, especially Toshiro's. The shirt was still wet and lukewarm with blood, and he just knew that there was blood on his palm. But, this was no time to be grossed out.

"The corpse is still warm, and the blood is fresh. The disaster took place six years ago, yet it looks as though he died mere minutes ago."

"You mean…he was JUST killed?"

"He's not the only one." Toshiro said, wiping the blood off his hand with a shredded curtain that was conveniently nearby. "I took a look at the burnt corpse near the entrance. It was also still warm."

"Are you saying that all this took place five minutes ago?!" Renji exclaimed, unable to believe something as farfetched as that.

"I am. I even saw a few fires on some of the buildings."

"But that's impossible!" Renji protested.

"I know it is. But, since this place is full of Cielvian forces, it could be possible. Look at the sky."

"…" Renji looked up. He hadn't noticed before, but the sky did look quite dark, and there were some hints or orange in it, like the sun was either rising or setting. "What's going on here?"

"I'm not sure." Toshiro answered. "But, somehow, this place has become frozen in time."

"I think I'm gonna lose it." Renji groaned quietly, rubbing his head.

"I'm sure we'll find out why this happened in due course." Toshiro stood in front of Renji, trying to come across as calm and focused in front of his subordinate; a task that was becoming more and more difficult each minute they stayed in Redwood. "In the meantime, we should meet up with the others and see what they have found."

"What about Ren?"

"She won't go far." Toshiro held up Ren's cardigan, and Renji heard a rattling sound coming from one of the pockets. "Her pills are still in her jacket." Toshiro walked past Renji, determined to leave that body behind him. "Let's go."

"Yes, sir." Renji quickly followed Toshiro, not even trying to take one last look at the bloodied body of an impaled man.

…

"Eh?" Ren said, looking around her surroundings. She was kneeling on the ground in the middle of a blackened, burnt house. The smell of smoke was still fresh, and Ren saw that there were a few small fires here and there.

"When did I get here? The last thing I remember was running from Renji and Shiro. The rest is just black. Uuuu…" Rn rubbed her head, her other hand reaching for her jacket pocket, but dug her hand into nothing. "What? Where are…Ah, that's right. Shiro has them. Uuuu, this sucks!" Ren whined, slamming her fist on the ground. "At any rate, I should get out of here." Ren stood up, brushing the black soot and ashes off her jeans and boots. "That is, if I know where 'here' is." Ren surveyed her environment again. This was definitely a house. But, she had no clue who it belonged to. And, right now, Ren did not want to find out. She just wanted to find Toshiro, grab her jacket and get outta here! She probably won't know who lived here, anyway.

"Huh?" Ren's thoughts of escape were pushed to the back of her mind as soon as she saw an office chair. Curious, Ren gave it a nudge. It spun a complete circle. It was a little burnt, but it was a fully functioning, spinning office chair. Ren beamed with an excited gasp. Not caring whether it was dirty of not, Ren immediately sat down on it, planted her feet on the wall and pushed off it, making the chair roll and spin across the burnt house.

"WHEEEEEEEEEEE!" Ren yelled, her arms spread out above her head. But, she made sure her eyes stayed closed as she spun. Last time she did this and her eyes were open, she ended up walking around the Sixth Form Computer Suite like a donkey with three legs. What was it called? A wonkey? Was it on a birthday card she got once? Her dad might know. He knew a lot of lame jokes. He was a father, after all; it was his job to know jokes that would either make you groan or roll your eyes, or even both at the same time.

"Still…" Ren opened her eyes when she felt the chair slow down until it eventually stopped spinning. "I wonder what he's doing right now. I barely even saw him this morning. I hope he'll be able to drop me off at that anime and manga sale in town tomorrow." A pause. "Ah, I'm sure he's fine!" Ren said loudly with a grin on her face. "Now, where was I? Oh, yeah! I remember!" Ren proceeded to push off against the ground and resumed her chair spinning. "WAHOOOOOOOOOOO!"

_Clunk_

"WAH!" Ren yelled after the chair tripped over a piece of debris and fell over, taking Ren with it. "Itatata…" Ren muttered, sitting up. She saw a hand dangle in front of her face. "Ah, thanks." Ren took the hand. "Eh?" Ren immediately noticed how the hand felt rough and almost flaky with a few blisters on them. On closer inspection, Ren saw the hand was very red with hints of black. "Hey, mate, is your hand okay?" Ren asked, looking up, only for her eyes to meet the dead eyes of a man lying on top of a table. Ren blinked, processing what she was seeing. She stood up and walked around the body, inspecting it. She poked his shoulder a couple times. "Is he…Is he dead?" Ren grabbed the man's hand again and lifted the arm up into the air before letting go. It flopped down the edge of the table again. "Yup. He's dead." Ren said nonchalantly. A pause. "Eeeeeeeeeeewwwwwww! I just touched a dead guy!" Ren promptly backed away, spitting into her hands and rubbing them together in an attempt to get rid of the dead-guy-feeling on them. "Kimochiwarui, kimochiwarui, kimochiwarui!" Ren flicked the excess spit off her hands before wiping them on her jeans. "I wish I had my handbag. I need hand sanitizer. Baaaaad!" Ren folded her arms. "I really need to get my mind off this. But how do I forget about a dead body?"

Two minutes later

"WHEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Ren yelled, spinning around on the office chair for the fifth time. The chair slowed to a stop after a few seconds. "Ahhh, that was great. What was I thinking about again? I don't care." Ren quickly shrugged off her question before going for another spin. "Oof!" Her spinning was stopped prematurely when it slammed into a wall. A piece of debris fell from the ceiling and onto Ren's lap. As soon as Ren saw how some of it was on fire, she threw it off with a yelp, not noticing the big tank of gas until the flaming wood landed next to it. Ren's face went blank. If she had learnt anything since this mess with White Raven started, it's that fire plus tanks equals a big ka-boom.

"Well, it's not on the tanks so its fine, right?" Ren said out loud to reassure herself. But, Ren realised just how much she had tempted fate when some bits of wood around the gas tank started to catch fire. "Wuh oh."

…

"…and Kuchiki makes four." Toshiro finished counting. Toshiro and the other Soul Reapers had gathered together on the main drag of the village. Toshiro noticed how some of their hands and clothes were dirty. He hated to imagine what they must have found. But, he was duty bound to ask. "So, what did you find?"

"Destroyed buildings, bloody messages and handprints, and a lot of dead bodies." Rukia answered, staying calm throughout her recollection, despite the horrific nature of her discoveries.

"And Ren?"

"I didn't see her."

"Captain, I found something else." Rangiku spoke up.

"You did?"

"I mean, I think I did. It was a name of some sort. Maybe a code name."

"Was it C12?" Toshiro asked. Rangiku shook her head.

"It wasn't. And some of what was left of any documents with that name on them was dated before this…" Rangiku indicated the village, unable to finish the sentence.

"What was the name?" Renji asked.

"It was The Redwood Reaper."

"Hey, I found some papers with that name, too!" Ichigo realised.

"And one of the messages written in blood I found said that name, too. Captain Hitsugaya, I think the arsonist and The Redwood Reaper might be the same person."

"I do, too." Toshiro agreed with Rukia. "But, who is The Redwood Reaper?"

"Whoever it is, I'm sure they're locked up with the key thrown away. I don't think genocide like this would go unnoticed."

"You're right, Ichigo. But, I still want to know who would do such a thing."

"We will find an answer, Captain Hitsugaya. But I'm more concerned about finding Ren. I don't think she'd last in this place if her reaction to that dead body is anything to go by."

"Right." Toshiro's mind snapped from thinking about the identity of The Redwood Reaper to finding Ren. But, before he could start to come up with an action plan, everyone heard an explosion in the distance. It looked like their long search was over; just follow where that explosion came from.

"Hey…" Renji pointed ahead of him at the location of the explosion. Everyone turned to look. Through the brown and orange smoke, they could faintly make out something rushing towards them. But, after hearing a yelling sound coming from that something, it turned from a something into a someone. And that someone was Ren, clinging onto the office chair as it sped through the street like her life depended on it. But, the others didn't know that. They just saw a blur that was rapidly getting closer and the yell was getting louder.

"Is that Ren?" Rangiku asked?"

"I think so." Rukia said. While the others were nonchalantly trying to decide what that thing was, Toshiro was the first, as usual, to grasp the situation.

"Get out the way!" He yelled. Quickly, the Soul Reapers jumped out of the path of the speeding office chair, just barely missing them while Ren let out a quick "Can't stop!" as a warning. "Ah!" Toshiro dove out of Ren's path as the chair crashed through the front door of a burnt house without any effort, followed by several crashing and cracking sound inside said house.

"Ooooo…" Everyone flinched. They didn't need to see what was happening to know that the crash had to hurt. If not, then Ren must be made of iron. There was a silence that was only broken by the creaking noises of the house Ren had crashed into.

"I'm okay!" Ren's voice yelled, relieving everyone present. "Wait a minute…Has anybody been in this house yet?!"

"I have." Rangiku answered.

"Did you find any red puddles in the kitchen?"

"Ummm…no." Rangiku said after taking a few seconds to try and recall what she saw in that house.

"I am not okay. Oh, wait, wait, wait…its ketchup. Ketchup, everybody! Gimme a sec…Upsy daisy…" What followed were some more creaks and cracks as Ren navigated her way through the house. Sometimes, there would be a particularly loud thump and louder footsteps as Ren tripped and regained her footing. Eventually, after some more creaks and cracks, Ren staggered out of the front door, or at least where the front door used to be, brushing splinters off her clothes as she went.

"Hey, guys…" Ren said with a weary smile.

"Ren, what the hell were you doing?"

"Nice to see you, too, Red Pineapple."

"Answer the question."

"Uh…office chair…fire…gas tank…boom!" Ren yelled the last part while throwing her arms up in the air with open palms, despite the dazed and worn out tone of the rest of the sentence.

"It's the school all over again." Toshiro muttered. "Well, as long as you're okay, it's fine."

"Great. Can I have my cardie back?" Ren reached for the cardigan Toshiro had slung over his shoulder.

"No." Toshiro promptly took a couple steps back from Ren.

"Uuuu…" Ren folded her arms with a pout.

"Wait a second…Ren; you were in that explosion just now, weren't you?" Toshiro asked, noticing how something seemed strange about Ren, or stranger at least since Ren was already pretty strange.

"What about it?"

"So, why aren't you burnt?"

"Huh?" Ren looked at her arms. She hadn't noticed, but there were no signs of fire damage on her skin or even on her clothes. After an explosion like that, it would be impossible to get out of it without a scratch. "Um…ghost fire?" Ren feebly suggested.

"_I know why."_

_Zena?_ Toshiro thought after hearing Zena's voice in his head.

"_It's because her Fire Shackles have Shattered. When a Cielvian Shatters an Elemental Shackle, you become free to use that element without the Shackles. And, it can grant immunity to most damage from said element. So, Ren can now go through the biggest of explosions and the strongest of infernos and come out in one piece."_

_So that's why Ren is unharmed._

"_Exactly."_

"Shiro?" Ren said, noticing how Toshiro was staring into space.

"Well, it's not important." Toshiro said quickly and acting as if his sudden silence never happened. "Let's go. We've still got some ground to cover.

"Aw, do I have to?" Ren complained.

"Secret chocolate stash." Toshiro said.

"Let's roll." Ren quickly changed her tune, being the first to start to leave the street.

…

"I. Am. So. Booooooooooooooored!" Ren exclaimed, waving her arms in the air, while everyone but Rangiku had the good sense to ignore Ren's exclamation as they walked.

"Aw, you were doing so well for the last twenty minutes. Come on, you can do it." Rangiku encouraged while patting Ren on her back, not noticing how Ren's expression froze a little.

"Don't touch me there." Ren said flatly.

"Sorry." Rangiku sharply took her hand away from Ren's back like her hand had been burnt.

"Shiro, could you at least give me my pills? I'm starting to get a headache."

"You can last a few more minutes." Toshiro refused.

"Fine." Ren said huffily, folding her arms and pouting like a teenager.

"Oh, grow up." Renji muttered.

"Shut up, Red Pineapple."

"You guys, there's something over here!" Ichigo called to the group, standing next to a building that looked half demolished. The others immediately stopped walking. "I don't think it's a house."

"Yeah, there's a sign there." Rukia said, pointing out a swinging sign on the side of the building that let out a loud, and creepy, creaking sound as the wind made it swing back and forth.

"That's a tavern." Rangiku immediately said. "I know one when I see one."

"But, what does the sign say?" Renji squinted at the sign. "Uh…Cry…Lear…"

"That's The Crimson Leaf." Ren said. "It was a pub In Redwood, where all the villagers would go in the evenings, minus the children of course. Since everybody from the other villages loathed Redwood In some way, only the citizens of Redwood went here. The only exceptions would be the village heads of the other villages." Throughout this explanation, Ren's face was expressionless, and her eyes were blank.

"I thought you said she had no memory of this place." Ichigo discreetly whispered to Toshiro.

"She doesn't." Toshiro said.

_That has to mean Ren is starting to remember._ Toshiro thought.

"Ren, how did you know that?" Rangiku asked.

"Know what?" Ren asked, her eyes regaining their light.

_And now she's forgotten again._ Toshiro thought, a little disappointed. _So something here is reminding Ren of what happened six years ago. I have to find something that will make her remember the moment the arsonist attacked._

"_Are you sure you want to do that?"_ Zena mentally asked.

_What makes you say that?_ Toshiro mentally responded back while the Soul Reapers kept asking a confused Ren questions, bewildered at how she could suddenly forget something.

"_I'm just saying that sometimes, the past belongs in the past. It might be better if Ren remains oblivious."_

_I didn't want to bring Ren here, but if she doesn't remember what happened here, then I'll never know if Redwood is connected to White Raven or Cielvia._

"…" Zena said nothing.

_Why are you acting like this anyway?_ Toshiro asked, finding this reluctance strange, especially since Zena had been the most enthusiastic about this whole investigation.

"_Well, let's just say that Ren isn't the only one who may be digging up unpleasant memories."_

_Wait, are you-_

"_The village centre."_

_What?_

"_In the centre of the village, there's a town square. There should be a statue right in the middle of a cross with a rose in the centre of it. If Ren really is remembering her past, then that location should help."_

_Why? What's there?_

"_I'd rather not say."_

_Are you sure it will help Ren remember? _Toshiro asked, suspicious about how ambiguous Zena was being about this statue.

"_I'm sure."_ Zena said, but Toshiro couldn't help but notice how her response had hints of sadness in it.

"No, I really have no idea." Ren insisted for the millionth time.

"You just rattled off the name and information of a tavern like you'd been here before." Ichigo said.

"Which I obviously have not." Ren retorted.

_Guess it can't be helped._ Toshiro thought after hearing Ren's retort, deciding that Zena's lead was the best thing he had to go on, even if it was a little suspicious.

"That's enough." He said loudly, bringing everyone's attention back to him. "There's somewhere I want to check out, so let's get going."

"Hey, hey, hold your horses. I wanna check out that place first." Ren pointed at the wrecked pub. "I think it might have been a pub."

We just talked about it! Everyone thought, sweat dropping.

"Brb!" Ren trotted off towards the pub.

"Ren, what are you doing?"

"Shiro, if there's one thing I've learnt from video games, it's that abandoned buildings always have something to loot."

"This isn't a video game."

"Whatever." Ren ignored Toshiro, entering the pub through singed doors.

"So, what are we doing now?" Rukia asked, hoping to get Toshiro a little less irked.

"We're heading to the centre of the village. Zena said that it might help Ren remember some of her past."

"Doesn't it feel strange talking to a spirit in your head?" Ichigo asked.

"Yes, but at this point, it's not the strangest thing that ever happened to me."

"Hey, guys! C'mere! The beer taps are still working! And it's cold!"

"You had me at 'beer'!" Rangiku quickly dashed into the pub.

"…" Renji looked towards the pub with a hopeful look in his eyes.

"Just go." Toshiro said, frustration evident in his voice. But, Renji paid it no mind, and in less than two seconds, he was in the pub, not caring how dilapidated it was.

A couple pints later

"Aaaaah!" Rangiku sighed happily. "That was great! I really needed that!"

"The alcohol in this world has a different taste than back in Soul Society." Renji said, wiping some leftover froth from his mouth.

"Hey, hey, you think we'd be able to take some back with us?" Rangiku asked Renji hopefully, making him grin.

"Shiro, are we there yet?" Ren asked in a whiney tone, a hand on her head.

"Uh…" Toshiro started, not entirely sure where he was going.

"_Yes."_

"Yes." Toshiro repeated what Zena said.

"Good, 'cos I wanna get outta here asap. This place is giving me a headache." Ren sped up a little, starting to walk past Toshiro. But, Toshiro stopped her by grabbing her shoulder and making her turn around to face her.

"Listen, Ren, I don't want to be here anymore than you do." Toshiro said, going into lecture mode, and Ren responded by folding her arms with a bored expression on her face. "But we can't turn back now just because you're getting a little headache. And further-"

"Look, a distraction!" Ren suddenly, yelled, pointing behind Toshiro.

"Huh?" Toshiro looked behind him, and he didn't realise what had just happened until he heard running footsteps and Ren's laughter. He turned back around. Ren was running down the street, laughing her head off at the fact that even Toshiro wasn't immune to her trick.

"I can't believe you fell for that." Ichigo said, while Toshiro just stood rooted to the spot with a dumbfounded expression, his eye twitching.

"Rrrrrrraaaaaaagghh!" Toshiro dashed after Ren, infuriated at Ren for constantly being a pain, and at himself for falling for such an obvious trick.

"We should probably make sure Toshiro doesn't murder her."

"That's Captain Hitsugaya!" Toshiro yelled before running around the corner after Ren.

"Rangiku, why don't you lead the way?" Ichigo was suddenly standing behind Rukia and Renji, who just looked at each other and sighed.

…

"Ren! Get back here!" Toshiro yelled, running after Ren. But, she wasn't stopping.

"Catch me if you ca-an!" Ren said in a cheerful sing-song voice. With a happy laugh, Ren telekinetically made some debris from a house block the path in front of Toshiro. But, he was undeterred. He simply planted a hand on top of the pile and leapt over it, continuing the chase.

"_Toshiro, Ren is almost at the centre."_ Zena said.

"Good. Maybe now she'll finally remember something." Toshiro stopped running when he reached a fork in the road.

"_She went right." _Toshiro immediately went down that path while mentally grumbling to himself about babysitting.

"Shiro actually fell for that." Ren laughed to herself as she ran. "What an idiot."

"I can still hear you!"

"Nyahaha!" Ren laughed, skidding around another corner and onto a larger road. She reached a grassy area on the road, which made her stop. "Eh?" Ren looked up from the grass, and found herself frozen on the spot at what she saw, all signs of laughter gone from her face. Meanwhile, Toshiro emerged from the alleyway onto the road, and he immediately spotted Ren.

"Ren, stop running off all by yourself! It's dangerous here!" Toshiro said while catching up to her. He reached Ren's side, and noticed how Ren hadn't responded to him, or even noticed that he was there. "Ren?" Still nothing. That's when Toshiro realised that they were at a tall, stone statue of a cross with a rose in its centre. The centre of the village. But, Ren and Toshiro weren't alone. At the base of the statue, there was a body. It was a teenage girl, and out of all the bodies they had seen, this one was the least burnt. There were only a few patches of burnt skin, her clothes and boots were a little torn and dirty and she did not look like she was in any pain. If Toshiro didn't know any better, he'd say this girl was asleep. But, this was a corpse; the exact thing Toshiro didn't want Ren to see. Now she was probably going to freak out and run off again.

_Zena…did you know this was here?_

"_I did."_

Well, you could have warned me! Toshiro thought angrily.

"If I did, then you would have avoided it, and the Ren might never remember."

I hate it when you're right. Toshiro gave up, knowing that he couldn't win an argument with either Ren or Zena, especially if they were being rational.

"Ren, are you alright?" Toshiro asked, finding her silence rather unsettling. Ren suddenly turned around and ran. "Re-"

"Hey!" Ren yelled as loudly as she could, standing in the centre of the road. "Guys! Who wants to see a dead body?!"

"Gah!" Toshiro almost fell over in exasperation at Ren. "What's wrong with you?!"

"What? No cars are gonna come through here." Ren said, turning around to face Toshiro and wearing her usual innocent expression.

"That's not the problem here! The problem is how you're so nonchalant about a dead body!" Toshiro exclaimed.

"Well, why aren't you nonchalant about it?" Ren asked. "You're a Soul Reaper, right? This shouldn't be new to you."

"No, I fight Hollows and help souls pass on to Soul Society. Corpses are not part of my job."

"They're not that different."

"There's a huge difference! Urgh!" Toshiro's hands went to his head out of exasperation and frustration. "Just forget it!"

"Whaddya mean?"

"It's impossible to argue with you." Toshiro said, exhausted.

"But, still, this is very clean for a corpse." Ren trotted past Toshiro and back to the body, leaning forwards with her hands on her knees for a better look. "It doesn't look like she died from burns. Maybe it was when she inhaled too much of the smoke. And judging from the look of the buildings, there was a lot of it. Whoever did this must have held a grudge against the village."

"That's what I thought, too. But I can't think of anybody specific who would hate the village this much. Can you?"

"Of course not." Ren said in a deadpan tone. "I didn't know this place existed until now."

"Right, right."

"But from what I've seen so far, this fire seems very contained. The trees surrounding this place were untouched by the fire. Somehow, the arsonist had made sure the fire was destroying the village alone."

"You think so?"

"Well, either that or the fire department is very efficient." Ren said with a shrug.

"…" Toshiro said nothing. He hadn't thought about that. But, Ren was right. There were signs that this fire was contained within a single location. Maybe it was some kind of Cielvian force that prevented the flames from spreading? Was White Raven behind this after all? Maybe ti wasn't such a bad idea to bring Ren here.

"I think it came from…" Ichigo ran out from between two buildings, and immediately spotted Ren and Toshiro, who turned to look at him after hearing his voice. "There you are. Guys, I've found them!" Ichigo yelled down the alleyway he came from. He went towards Ren and Toshiro while the others caught up. "What did you find?" He asked as soon as he arrived at the statue.

"A dead body!" Ren said cheerfully. "And a pretty one!"

"Ren, don't be stupid. Corpses aren't…wait. This one really is kinda pretty." Renji said, taking a good look at the dead teenager, and mentally noticing how weird what he just said was.

"I know, right? She's young, she's beautiful, she's stylish, and she looks surprisingly familiar." Ren trailed off when she looked back at the body.

"Ren?" Toshiro said. No response. Toshiro took another look at the body, and he too found the girl familiar.

"_Toshiro?"_ Zena said.

_Zena, I recognise this girl._ Toshiro thought. _It's that ghost I saw in the tunnels._

"_It seems like you're not the only one."_

"Ren, do you know who this girl is?" Toshiro asked, realising that if Ren recognised this girl, then some of her memory must be coming back.

"I do." Ren answered after some hesitation. "This girl…" Toshiro noticed how Ren unconsciously clenched her fists as she spoke. "Her name is…was…Rosalie Thornton."

"!" Nobody could hide their surprise, because that name was familiar to all of them. Although, the only one who really knew that name was the white haired Captain.

"That's the name you kept muttering when you fought Etheline, isn't it?" Rangiku asked.

"It is." Toshiro answered before Ren could, knowing that Ren wouldn't be able to remember. "She was the daughter of Redwood's head."

"So, that man we saw earlier was her father?" Renji asked, remembering the body of the man they saw. Toshiro nodded.

"This place is messed up!" Ichigo exclaimed.

"Correction; the arsonist is messed up." Ren said, finally turning her back to the body of Rosalie. "Is this what you wanted us to see, Shiro?"

"Yes." Toshiro lied, since he really didn't want Ren to see that body, no matter how helpful it was.

"Can I go home now?"

"No."

"Uuuu…"

"Now that we've found two members of the head family, I realise that their deaths may be crucial to why this happened. So, I want to try and find their house."

"Their house?" Ren repeated, a fearful look in her eyes. But, Toshiro didn't notice the fear, and took it as Ren recognising something. Her memory was coming back.

"Their house." Toshiro repeated, confirming to Ren what he said. "Ren, you wouldn't happen to know where their house is, would you."

"It's just down that road." Ren said, pointing down the road. "It's at the very end, you can't miss it…Huh?" Ren blinked. "Hey, I remembered something." Ren placed a hand on her head. "And no headache."

"_Toshiro…"_

_Yeah, I know. Ren is starting to remember._ Toshiro thought. _And this time, she's not forgetting right away. This village is bringing back her memories._

"But we're gonna stay away from that house, right?" Ren asked.

"Let's get moving." Toshiro ignored the question and lead the group in the direction Ren had pointed in.

"Uuuu…" Ren followed, slouching and almost dragging her feet.

…

15 minutes later

"Is this it, Ren?"

"Yes." Ren said in response to Toshiro's question, trying to look anywhere except the house. The house in question was very large, with three storeys to it and, even through the ashes and burnt rubble, the bricks looked almost brand new in comparison to the other houses in the village. This was, undoubtedly, the house of the head family.

"It's so…grand." Rukia said after searching for the right word.

"Uh, yeah, you guys can check it out. I'll stay here and er…keep watch. Yeah, keep watch."

"Come on, Ren. It's not that scary."

"Yeah, it is." Ren insisted, fiddling with her hands.

"Then what? Ah, I know. You don't want to get your boots dirty, right?" Rangiku teased.

"That's not what I'm worried about!" Ren cried. "I'm not going in there!"

"What's wrong with it?" Toshiro asked, approaching Ren.

"It's too chilling. Just looking at it makes me sick. I'm sorry, Shiro, but not even all the chocolate in the world will make me go in there."

"Actually, I lied about the chocolate." Toshiro hastily admitted.

"Wait, what?"

"But listen." Toshiro quickly said to distract Ren from what he said. "There's no reason to be afraid. Look." Toshiro walked up to the house and pushed the front door open, ignoring how it collapsed on the ground after breaking off its hinges. Toshiro entered the hallway. Nothing happened. He turned to face the group. "See?"

"Oh." Ren blinked. "Well…If you say it's okay." Ren slowly walked towards the house. But, as soon as Ren was less than a few steps away from the doorway, she was suddenly stricken with a severe headache. She stopped walking and clutched her head with one hand while fumbling around her waist with the other. Toshiro noticed this and, after checking the jacket he still had slung over his shoulder, realised she was looking for her pills. Likewise, after Ren remembered she didn't have her cardigan on, the other hand went straight to her head. She had never experienced a pain like this before. It was like clamps were squeezing her skull in all directions. Ren staggered a little and her vision started to blur.

"Ren!" Toshiro ran out of the house as soon as Ren stumbled. This house must be linked to Ren's past if she is reacting like this. But, if just being near it gave her this much pain, then he wasn't going to let Ren set one foot inside the house. Toshiro held Ren's shoulders gently and led Ren away from the house. With each step, Ren's grip on her head loosened, until she was no longer in any pain.

"How are you feeling now?" Toshiro asked, his voice full of concern.

"Better." Ren answered in a weak voice.

"I'm sorry, Ren."

"No, it's okay. You didn't know."

"I won't make you go in that house. If you want, you can wait out here." Ren looked at Toshiro. "I'll leave Ichigo and the others with you, and you can wait out here until I'm done. Does that sound okay?" Ren nodded.

"Captain?"

"Here's the plan." Toshiro said, facing the group. "You are all to stay out here and watch over Ren. I will go inside that house alone. I'll be fine, don't worry." Toshiro added the last part as soon as he saw the looks on the Soul Reapers faces that said they were about to stop him. But, hearing those last words, they relaxed.

"You don't have to do this, Shiro."

"Yes, I do." Toshiro said firmly but softly.

"Okay. Yell if something happens, alright?"

"I will." With that reassurance, Toshiro turned around and walked towards the house while the others watched him leave. Toshiro went through the doorway, stepped over the front door, turned right and he was out of sight. Silence.

"Now what?" Rangiku asked, breaking the silence.

"I think I've got something to pass the time." Ren said, rummaging through the pockets of her jeans.

…

"Nothing in here…" Toshiro muttered to himself, peering around a doorframe into a room. It looked like it used to be a lounge, but everything was so burnt, it was nearly impossible to tell.

"What exactly are you looking for?" Zena asked, materialising next to Toshiro and peering into the same room as Toshiro.

"I have no idea." Toshiro answered honestly, abandoning that room and continuing to wander through the house.

"Then why are you here?" Zena floated after Toshiro.

"Because it's connected to Ren's memories, so I am here in her stead to find out what could cause her so much pain. And I didn't want any surprises like last time." Toshiro said the last part while shooting a glare at Zena.

"Alright, I'm sorry. But I thought you wanted Ren to remember her past."

"Not if it involves looking at corpses."

"It worked, didn't it? Ren still remembers who it was, doesn't she?" Toshiro stopped walking. "You know I'm right, Toshiro." Zena floated in front of Toshiro, looking him in the face while Toshiro avoided eye contact, thinking about Zena's words. "None of us like this, especially Ren. But, it has to be done if you want to find out what happened here. And you know that." After a few seconds of silence, Toshiro sighed.

"Yeah. You're right."

"This will be over soon, Toshiro."

"I'm not sure about that. Something tells me that the truth will be more than I can handle." Toshiro said, walking around a corner in the hallway, with Zena walking beside him.

"You mean more than Ren can handle."

"That, too."

"They doomed us all…"

"Huh?" Toshiro stopped walking and looked around him. "What was that?"

"Over there!" Zena pointed to her left. Toshiro looked. There was a faint silhouette of a person sitting on a ruined sofa in another room that looked equally ruined, hunched forward in fear.

"Another spirit!" Toshiro immediately rushed towards the spirit, but as soon as he got to the doorframe, he stopped.

"Toshiro?" Zena was immediately floating at Toshiro's side.

"Zena, there's a strange Cielvian force here." Toshiro said in a hushed voice, suppressing a flinch. "Do you feel it?" Zena nodded. So, Zena and Toshiro stood at the doorway looking at the spirit, who hadn't even noticed them enter. Unlike the previous spirit of that girl Toshiro saw days ago, this one had no details to it or even a sense of identity. This spirit was nothing more than a blue blob shaped like a person.

_Could this be a member of the head family? _Toshiro thought. _The voice was female. A sister? No…a mother._

"We didn't leave them alone. The Redwood Reaper brings misfortune wherever they go. Anyone associated with them is doomed. The Redwood Reaper did this to us. They doomed us all." The spirit muttered, almost making it sound like a chant.

"…" Toshiro recognised the name the spirit uttered. But, he said nothing, partly because he was hoping to figure out the identity of the Redwood Reaper, whoever they may be, and because he really didn't want that thing to startle him like the girl in the tunnel did.

"The Redwood Reaper did this to us. They doomed us all. We didn't leave them alone. The Redwood Reaper brings misfortune wherever they go. Anyone associated with them is doomed. The Redwood Reaper did this to us. They doomed us all."

_She's just saying the same thing over and over again._ Zena thought. _This spirit has gone mad. Was it her death that caused her madness, or being trapped here for six years? At any rate, it's pointless staying here._

"We should go, Toshiro." Zena said, drawing Toshiro's attention from the spirit.

"Right." Toshiro agreed, realising the futility of listening to a mad spirit. All he had accomplished here was knowing the Redwood Reaper destroyed the village, which he had already figured out earlier. And, as he walked away from that room and through the house, Toshiro just couldn't answer the last few questions on his mind. Why did this happen? How is White Raven tied into this? More importantly, who was the Redwood Reaper?

…

"Uno!" Ren yelled happily, waving her last remaining card left and right.

"What?! Again?!" Renji moaned, clutching his head in frustration. While Toshiro was exploring the house by himself, the rest of the group had made themselves comfortable (or as comfortable as they could in a destroyed village full of burnt corpses) and spent the next few minutes sitting in a circle playing a card game Ren had on her. Fortunately, the Soul Reapers were smart enough to not ask Ren why she would carry around a game like that.

"How come you're always first to lose your cards?" Ichigo said, eyeing his own cards.

"That's because she's played this before." Rukia answered, playing one of her cards. "Renji, draw two cards." Renji obeyed, complaining under his breath.

"Well, Ren has always had good luck. I've just got yellows."

"Rangiku, you're not supposed to tell people what's in your hand." Ren pointed out.

"You're not? Then, I have blue cards." Ren face palmed right after hearing this.

"So what do you think happened here?" Ichigo asked the group, placing down a card.

"I still think that the person who burnt this village down is the Redwood Reaper." Rukia said, starting the group off.

"It had to be someone who held a grudge against this place." Renji added.

"Or…" Rangiku started, drawing a card from the deck. "Maybe the head family." She suggested. Everyone looked at her, silently asking her why she thought that. "Think about it. Almost all the bodies we've found were burnt beyond recognition. But the body of that girl, and the man that Renji mentioned earlier, had their own unique deaths. Almost like…"

"Like they were being hunted!" Ichigo realised. Right after Ichigo heard this, he heard a noise coming from the house. A clattering of wood. Like someone had suddenly shifted the ground beneath them as they started to run.

"I win!" Ren played her last card, holding her arms above her head in victory. The other Soul Reapers groaned at their loss. "Now…" With one flick of her finger, the cards were whisked out of their hands, and before anybody realised what was happening, Ren was already trying an elastic band around the deck and placing it back in her back pocket. "And I'll be right back." Ren started to walk away, but Renji blocked her path with his arm.

"Where are you going?" Renji calmly demanded.

"Move, please."

"Not until you tell me why you're leaving."

"Gentleman doesn't ask, lady doesn't tell." Ren said quickly. "Now move."

"How do I know you're not going to leave us?"

"Please don't make me say it out loud."

"Say it, then."

"Uuuu…" At this point, Ren was starting to fidget.

"Say it."

"I gotta use the bathroom!" Ren yelled, her cheeks turning red after realising she blurted that out. Silence.

"Oh." Renji, with a blank face, lifted his arm up, and Ren ran past him straight into the first house she saw. Well, that was embarrassing. For both of them.

"Huh?" Ichigo looked back at the house Toshiro was in. "Did anyone hear that?"

"I did."

"Me, too. It sounded like a crash." Rukia said.

"The Captain! Let's go!" Rangiku quickly led the Soul Reapers into the house. Several seconds later, Ren re-emerged from the other house.

"Guys, do NOT use the bathroom in that house. There's a-" Ren cut herself off after returning to the front gates of the head families house. There was nobody in sight. "Guys?" No answer. Ren looked the house up and down. They must have gone in there without telling her. How rude! She sighed. This was gonna suck. She pushed the gate open and walked up the path. She slowed to a stop when she reached the point where she got the headache. Slowly, and with her eyes shut, Ren took another step forward, bracing herself for the pain. Nothing. Ren opened one eye. She walked forward another pace. Still nothing. With a small "Yay!" Ren skipped through the front doorway and followed her nose through the house, not letting the bad conditions bother her in the slightest.

…

"The Redwood Reaper did this to us. They doomed us all." The blue female spirit muttered. She continued her mantra while Toshiro stood by the doorway, watching her.

"Why are you back here, Toshiro?" Zena asked, appearing beside him again.

"Didn't you hear what the others were saying?" Toshiro asked in turn. "The death of the head family is different from the deaths of the rest of the villagers. So if I find the body of this spirit, then I'll see if they're right."

"And if so, then you'll know the Redwood Reaper targeted the head family specifically."

"Precisely." Toshiro said, confirming to Zena what he was thinking. Why didn't he notice something like this sooner?! He felt a little foolish, but now was not the time for that. He was getting closer to the identity of the Redwood Reaper. "And if her spirit is here, then her body shouldn't be too far."

"Let's get searching, then." Zena floated into the room, peeking under the coffee table. She found nothing. And, the spirit sitting behind the coffee table did nothing to stop Zena from investigating. Zena abandoned the table and went to a picture hanging on the wall, lifting it up and looking behind it. She felt the exasperated glare of Toshiro. "What? They might have a secret room."

"That sounds like something Ren would say."

"Well, we are almost the same." Zena pointed out, floating towards a closet door. She grasped the handle and opened it. Then, everything went quiet.

"Zena?" Toshiro said, the silence unnerving him.

"Toshiro…I've found her." Zena said sadly. Toshiro entered the room, almost side-stepping around the sofa the spirit sat on. He reached the closet and looked inside. Along with a few coats and boxes of book, one of which was knocked over and had clear footprints on them, was the body of a woman with blonde curly hair, dressed in a pink blouse and blue jeans. She looked like an older version of Rosalie, the girl in the town centre. This body wasn't burnt beyond recognition like the others. In fact, there were no burns to be seen. The only evidence that showed she had died was the rope hanging from the ceiling of the closet and looped around her neck. This was obviously a suicide. Toshiro had never seen one before, nor had he ever wanted to, but for some reason, seeing the body of a person who killed themselves was more unsettling than any of the other bodies he had seen today. If not, then it was a very sobering sight, indeed.

"…" Toshiro turned away, looking anywhere but at the body.

"Well…her death certainly was different from the others." Zena said, breaking the silence. Toshiro said nothing, and simply closed his eyes.

"Let's get her down." Toshiro said quietly. "I feel bad leaving her like this."

"…" Without a word, Zena floated up to the body and started to fiddle with the noose. The knot unwrapped and the rope loosened. Zena caught the body before it could fall and gently set her on the ground, leaning the body against the wall. Zena stepped back and looked at the body. Just like her daughter, the only evidence that this person wasn't sleeping was the red markings around her neck.

"She didn't want the Redwood Reaper to kill her." Zena said. "She wanted to die on her own terms."

"Yeah." Toshiro agreed, still refusing to look at the body. Instead, he looked at the spirit, which had suddenly grown quiet. Toshiro approached the spirit and stood in front of it, yet the spirit did nothing to react. "What happened? Why can't you rest in peace?" Toshiro asked.

"I won't let it happen."

"Eh?" Toshiro blinked, not expecting a response. The spirit's blue glow started to spike and grow menacing, and the blue was turning to red. Toshiro felt his back get warmer, and he immediately knew this was bad. Before he even considered leaving the room, the spirit suddenly jumped up and grabbed him by the shoulders, slamming him against the wall and making a few bricks and clumps of dust fall from the impact. But Toshiro didn't struggle or yell at the spirit to let him go. He was too distracted by the spirits yells and the images flashing before his eyes to do anything. He barely even acknowledged his his back got even warmer.

"I WON'T LET IT HAPPEN!" The spirit yelled. "I WON'T LET THAT WOMAN TAKE MY LIFE! IF I'M DYING, IT WILL BE MY DECISION! I WON'T LET A WEAKLING DICTATE MY LIFE! NOT THAT SCUMBAG!"

"…" Zena was frozen on the spot. The second that spirit had grabbed Toshiro, she saw some images flash through her mind too quickly to process each one individually. They were visons. No, not visions. Memories…Her memories…And a voice…

"_When you need it the most, your Birthright shall appear to you."_

"SHE'S COMING!" The spirit continued to yell. "I WON'T LET YOU KILL ME!"

"Toshiro!" Zena yelled, finally snapping out of her visions. She fired a telekinetic pulse from her hand, and the spirit slammed into the other side of the room, letting go of Toshiro in the process. Toshiro felt himself return to Earth as soon as the spirit released him, and his back stopped burning at the same time. The spirit quickly flitted across the ground and huddled in the closet where her body used to hang. Silence.

"Well…that happened." Zena said.

"Zena, when that spirit grabbed me, I had a vision." Toshiro said, immediately retelling what had happened. "I think it was the memories of that woman just before she died."

"What did you see?" Zena asked.

"She was in this room. There was a huge fire through that window." Toshiro pointed out the window, which had a view of the village. "She was preparing the noose. Then, the house caught fire, and then…" Toshiro stopped himself, finding himself unable to finish.

"That's when she died." Zena finished. Toshiro nodded. "Did you get a glimpse of the arsonist?"

"I didn't. But, at least we know that the Redwood Reaper is a woman."

"Well, that narrows the suspects down by half."

"This kind of mass murder sounds like it's right up White Raven's street."

"Maybe." Zena agreed thoughtfully. "But we don't have enough evidence that they did it."

"I know. Ren is the only one who knows the identity of the Redwood Reaper and why White Raven would do this, and she is still unable to remember this village for more than five minutes. Damn!"

"Captain Hitsugaya!" Renji yelled, bursting into the room.

"Renji?" Toshiro said, surprised to see him, and Zena quickly vanished without anyone noticing.

"We heard a crashing sound. Are you okay?" Rukia asked, entering the room with Rangiku and Ichigo.

"I'm fine." Toshiro said, quickly reassuring the group.

"Toshiro, is that…?" Ichigo started, seeing the body.

"Yeah. That's the third member of the head family. She was in the closet with a noose around her neck."

"Suicide?" Rukia said quietly.

"Poor woman." Was all Rangiku could think of saying.

"Wait a minute…Where's Ren?"

"!" The Soul Reapers immediately went from looking sombre to trying extremely hard not to panic. After they had heard the crash, they had completely forgotten about Ren.

"She's uh…she's in the bathroom." Renji answered, knowing that Toshiro would want an answer sooner or later.

"And you just let her wander off by herself?!"

"I can't follow a girl when she's…you know…" Renji's eyes shifted around in embarrassment. "Besides, Ren eighteen, not eight."

"I don't care where she's going or how old she is! I gave you a task to look after her! Damn it!" Toshiro ran his fingers through his hair. "I can't take my eyes off you for five minutes."

"Hey, what're you yelling about?" Ren asked, walking into the room without anyone realising she was there until she spoke up.

"Ren! Ren, are you alright?" Toshiro asked, immediately in front of her and with his hands on her shoulders.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Ren answered, an innocently blank expression on her face.

"See? Everything worked out!" Rangiku said in a chipper tone.

"I suppose they did." Toshiro said, disgruntled yet relieved that Ren was okay. "Ren, are you alright being in here? Last time, you couldn't even get to the door."

"I thought the same thing, but I'm fine. Maybe that massive headache was to try and keep me away from this place or something. I dunno. But now that I'm inside this place, my head is starting to hurt a little bit."

"Then wait outside. We'll be just a few minutes."

"Hey, hand on a second. I wanna see what the fuss is about." Ren brushed past Toshiro and towards the open closet, barely even registering the dead body she stepped over. She looked inside. "Oh. My. God."

"I know. It's where I found this body." Toshiro explained, not noticing that Ren had entered the closet only to emerge a moment later.

"There's a tube of Smarties in here!" Ren exclaimed happily, waving it above her head. Ren popped the lid off, not noticing how everybody had fallen over anime-style. "Wow, some of them are white. Oh, right. This all happened six years ago, so there are no blue Smarties." Ren poured some of the chocolate in her mouth. "Wooooow! They're even better than I remember!" Ren finally noticed everyone on the ground. "What? Did you want some?" Ren asked.

"No, thank you." Everyone groaned in response. How can Ren act so calm in a place like this?! Although, with Ren around, it was pretty difficult to be afraid, so no-one was complaining.

"Ren, doesn't that spirit in there bother you?" Toshiro asked, being the first to recover.

"You mean that blue blob? Nah. It vanished as soon as I looked at it." Ren poured a few more Smarties into her mouth before shoving the tube in her pocket. "Well, let's get the rest of this village done and dusted."

"You're not going to try and escape?" Renji said.

"Nope. I mean, I've got my chocolate, so I'm satisfied. But seriously, what kind of friend would I be if I just abandoned you? I ran before 'cos I was freaked out, but I'm fine now. So…" Ren smiled her smile. "I'm sticking by you." There was a pause, which the Soul Reapers took as an opportunity to reflect on Ren's selfless nature. "That and you've got my jacket." Ren added quickly.

_Of course._ Everyone thought, sweat-dropping.

"Now, let's get going before my head splits open!"

…

"Okay, we must be going in circles." Ichigo said, his eyebrow twitching in annoyance. "We've passed that body three times!" Ichigo exclaimed, pointing at a corpse that was leaning against a wall, or what was left of the wall.

"Ichigo, in case you haven't noticed, we're in an abandoned village. There are burnt corpses everywhere!" Rukia retorted. "Although, it does look familiar."

"Really? I think they all look the same." Ren said.

"Great. We're lost in a haunted village." Renji said sarcastically.

"Calm down, everyone." Toshiro silenced the group. "We're not lost. We're just going in circles."

"That's what lost means, genius."

"Not now, Ren."

"I'm with the Captain. There's got to be somewhere we haven't been yet." Rangiku said.

"You mean like this street?" Ren asked, pointing down a wrecked street. Without waiting for an answer, Ren trotted down it, humming a song to herself. Toshiro was about to follow her, but Ren's voice made him stop. "Shiro?"

"What is it?"

"You said this place was targeted by the arsonist, right?"

"Yeah. They burnt everything down."

"So then, why is this house intact?"

"What?" After hearing this, the Soul Reapers all ran down the street Ren was in, seeing her within moments. She was staring straight ahead of her around a corner. Upon reaching her, the Soul Reapers all saw what had caught her attention. It was actually quite hard to miss. There in the ruined street, surrounded by burnt houses, was a perfectly intact family house. There was not a speck of ashes to be found on its spick and span bricks. Even the grass was still green. This was the only house that was untouched by all the death and destruction of the village.

"Nice find, Ren." Ichigo said, breaking the silence.

"Captain, do you know what happened here?"

"I have an idea." Toshiro answered. "The house and ground surrounding it are untouched, yet all the other buildings on this street are burnt just as badly as any other place here. Whoever did this, they were making sure the fire never left the village, and that it didn't touch this house. This would be impossible for a human, unless…"

"Unless they had Cielvian powers." Ren finished.

"White Raven." Rukia said what nobody was saying but what everybody was thinking.

"And if this house was protected, then maybe Ren isn't the only survivor."

"I think I'd know if I survived something like this, Shiro."

"So, whose house is it, Ren?" Toshiro asked, completely disregarding what Ren said. Although, he still felt a little frustrated that Ren still can't remember anything.

"I 'unno." Ren shrugged.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get in there and find out!" Renji promptly stormed through the gate and down the path towards the house and started trying to ram the front door, but the wooden door wasn't budging.

"The window! Break the window!" Ichigo picked up a lawn chair and threw it at a window, which broke with a loud smash.

"Ichigo! We've finally found a house that hasn't been destroyed! Let's try and keep it that way!" Rukia yelled.

"Shut up and get in here." Ichigo said, already climbing through the window.

"Fine, but I'm coming with you!" Rukia started to climb up the window, but her height made it more difficult than she thought.

"Rukia, be careful of the glass." Renji promptly helped Rukia through, receiving a glare in response.

"Could you all not charge ahead without thinking?" Toshiro asked, exasperated. "Rangiku, keep watch." Toshiro went over to the window, but like Rukia, he also found it difficult. Renji offered his hand to help him through without being asked. Toshiro took his hand, but Renji tripped on a teddy bear that was lying on the ground, and everyone, except for Rangiku and Ren, who were still outside, toppled over.

"Watch what you're doing!" Rukia yelled.

"Are you alright?" Rangiku asked, looking through the window.

"Aside from the fact I'm surrounding by morons, yes." Toshiro said sarcastically.

"Again, we're right here!" Renji exclaimed, insulted.

"Well, you shouldn't have tripped in the first place!" Ichigo retorted.

"Hey, it wasn't my fault, it was this stupid thing!" Renji brandished the teddy he tripped over, which now had an ashen footprint on it.

"A bear? Really?!" Rukia said, exasperated.

"Trust you to trip on a toy."

"What's that supposed to mean, Kurosaki?!"

"Hey, guys?"

"What?!" Everyone, except Rangiku, snapped, turning towards the source of the voice.

"Why didn't you use the front door?" Ren finished asking, standing inside the house in front of a wide open door. Everyone stared at her, silent.

"Ren…how did you get in here?" Rukia asked, despite knowing deep down what the answer would be.

"Front door key." Ren answered.

"Where did you find a key?"

"Well, where do you keep your spare key?"

"We have a spare key?" Rangiku said.

"Under the mat." Ichigo answered.

"There's your answer. I can't believe you guys didn't think of using a key. And I thought I had no common sense."

"…" Nobody said anything as Ren put the spare key back and shut the door behind her, as they were all feeling very stupid.

"Hang on…aren't you getting a headache?" Toshiro asked, realising Ren wasn't in any pain.

"Not really." Ren shrugged. "At that other house it felt like my brain was being squeezed, but here? I don't feel a thing." Ren gazed around the house. "Although it does seem familiar. I think I came to this house once."

"You did? Who lived here?" Renji asked.

"I have no idea!" Ren said brightly, with an equally bright smile to match. Everybody except for Ren sweat dropped. "But my guess is that whoever lived here is still alive somewhere. I mean…probably. They might be here right now."

"…" Everyone who was in the house immediately jumped up off the ground and started looking around sharply; peering behind sofas, looking under tables, or even throwing cushions. All except for Toshiro, who was smart enough to know nobody else was here, and simply stood up off the ground.

"Hey, I said might!" Ren said quickly, making everyone stop what they were doing. "Jeez, you don't have to be so jumpy. Like, who in their right mind would live in a haunted village? Honestly."

"Okay, everybody." Toshiro quickly resumed charge, facing the group. "Search every inch of this house. I need to know who lived here and if they're alive or not."

"Sounds like a plan. If anyone needs me, I'll be in the bathroom." Ren said, starting to walk up some stairs.

"Wait, I thought you went earlier." Ichigo said. Ren paused in the middle of the stairs and leaned over the banister a little.

"I found a dead body in the bathroom and it totally put me off." Ren noticed how the Soul Reapers gave her strange looks. "What? You try doing your business when somebody's watching you." With that, Ren went back up the stairs and vanished from sight.

"I'm never gonna understand her." Ichigo broke the silence.

"Everyone, split up." Toshiro, who had become to Ren's strange ways, focused on the task at hand; finding out who lived here. "Ichigo and I will go upstairs, Rangiku will keep watch and the rest of you will look around downstairs.

"Yes, sir." Rukia and Renji started looking around the living room, Toshiro and Ichigo went upstairs and Rangiku waited outside, although it didn't take long for her to get bored.

…

"Did you find anything?" Toshiro called out, peering around the doorframe of a bedroom.

"Nothing." Ichigo responded, shutting the door behind him of another room. "What about you?"

"Same." Toshiro left the room he was in. While it was nice to be in a house that didn't have any dead bodies and wasn't completely demolished, Toshiro was expecting this place to at least have some answers. But, they found nothing. Whoever lived here must have taken away any evidence that they were here. He couldn't even find any photographs.

"I found this, though." Ichigo produced a piece of paper from his pocket.

"What is it?" Toshiro asked, approaching him and taking the paper. It was a pencilled sketch of two girls, both of which had dark hair. The eldest girl had short, straight hair, and the younger of the two had wavy hair that was a little longer than the older girl's.

"I don't recognise any of them. Do you?"

"No." Toshiro shook his head. "But they look too similar to be friends. They're most likely sisters."

"You think they survived the attack on Redwood?" Ichigo asked.

"If they lived here, then it's very likely."

"Have you found something?" Ren asked, suddenly emerging from a room and holding a small radio in her hand.

"Just a drawing." Ichigo answered, showing it to her.

"Cool." Ren got a look at the drawing, and I one second, she got out her phone and snapped a picture of it. Toshiro and Ichigo didn't dare question Ren on why she did that, but she must have seen the looks on their faces, since she told them almost straight after Ren re-pocketed her phone. "I thought it might disappear if we tried to take it out the village."

"Whatever. Why are you holding a radio?" Ichigo asked dismissively.

"Right, well, you know how Shiro thinks this place is frozen in time? I think he might be onto something. Listen." Ren held up the radio and clicked it on, adjusting the dials until there was a clear signal.

"It's funny how a man only thinks about the _beep_."

"A hip-hop song. How ground-breaking." Ichigo said sarcastically.

"Radio stations usually play chart singles. I may not know much about the past, but I do know that this song was in the charts six years ago."

"So? Maybe they're having a special or something." Toshiro said, not seeing where Ren was going with this.

"I'm not done yet. Just wait for the end of the song. It's any second now." So, the boys listened. They could not understand much of the song. Well, they could, but the lyrics didn't make sense to them. When did music get this…bad? When the announcer on the radio finally spoke, Toshiro and Ichigo just about managed to hold back a sigh of relief.

"It is March 7th at 5:40 and that was-"

"See?" Ren cut off the announcer. "He said March 7th. Today is March 6th."

"So, he got it wrong."

"People make mistakes like that all the time."

"That's not all, Shiro. Wait for it…"

"Coming up next, we have 60 Second Quiz and anoth…" The announcer trailed off as his speech was suddenly replaced with static, which cleared away to something else entirely different, and very unexpected.

"It's funny how a man only thinks about the _beep_!"

"…" Now, Toshiro and Ichigo were intrigued. The radio was on a loop. This place really was frozen in a fixed point in time.

"This village is frozen at the point after it got destroyed." Ren said, voicing what the boys were already thinking.

"I don't give a-" The radio was cut off mid-song when Ren finally switched it off.

"Awww, I was enjoying that!" Rangiku's voice complained from downstairs.

"This village is stuck in time?" Ichigo said, a hand on his head. "What happened here?"

"_Well, now we know this place is definitely frozen."_ Zena said in Toshiro's head.

_Yes, but we don't know how or why. _Toshiro pointed out.

"Let's meet up with the others." Toshiro said. "They might have found something." And with that, he made his way towards the stairs.

"Any luck?" Rukia asked as soon as she spotted the white haired captain come down the stairs.

"Just a drawing." Ichigo answered, right behind Toshiro.

"We also have proof that this village is frozen in time at the moment after it was destroyed."

"In other words, not a lot!" Ren summed up cheerfully, jumping over the last four steps. "What did you find?"

"Nothing." Renji answered.

"We couldn't even find any photographs."

"Come to think of it, I didn't see anything in the bedrooms. Just some furniture and a few changes of clothing. Everything else was empty." Ichigo said thoughtfully.

"Yeah, and the kitchen only had bare necessities for a few days. I checked the fridge, and it's almost empty." Renji's stomach gave a small growl after he said this.

"You weren't raiding the fridge, were you?" Ichigo said in an angry tone.

"Anyway!" Rukia said loudly, stopping the spiky haired Soul Reapers before they could get into a fight. "This house is almost empty except for the furniture and essentials."

"The rest of their belongings must have been elsewhere. So, maybe, they did live here, but they wanted to leave Redwood." Toshiro theorised. "But, where to?"

"So, basically, we have no clue who lived here, then?" Ren asked. Everyone shook their heads. "Crud. Now what?" Ren cursed, although she was secretly glad they were near a dead end, since this would mean that they might just go home.

"I'm not sure where to go next." Toshiro said, mentally recollecting where they had and hadn't been. "We've been almost everywhere."

"Guess we should go home, then! Yoink!" While Toshiro was distracted, Ren swiped her cardigan from his shoulder.

"Hey!"

"Nyahaha!" Ren laughed triumphantly, pulling her cardigan back on and her hands immediately went to the pockets. "Eh?" Ren felt around her pockets. Nothing. They were empty. Did they fall out? Ren heard a rattling sound and looked up. Toshiro was holding an orange cylinder of pills level with his face, which silently said 'Looking for these?' "Ooooo, that's not cool, Shiro."

"You're not leaving here until we've seen every inch of this place."

"Aw, come on!" Ren pleaded in an annoyed tone.

"No." Toshiro folded his arms, standing his ground.

"Uuuu…"

"We should check we haven't missed anything."

"Great! Let's go!" Rangiku, who was overcome with boredom, was quick to go up the path as soon as her captain gave the order. She opened the gate and quickly went from a pristine house to a wrecked village. Rangiku thought it was quite a sudden, and strange, change to return to a 0lace devoid of life. Even that mobile phone lying on the ground seemed dead.

"Wait a…" Rangiku realised what was on the ground. She picked up the phone and inspected it. It looked pretty old fashioned, but it did have a colour screen, which Rangiku noticed after she touched a few of the buttons. It wasn't long before Rangiku was clicking away on the phone, hoping to find something useful.

"Lieutenant Matsumoto, what are you doing?"

"I've found a phone." Rangiku answered as she wandered back to the house without looking up from the screen.

"Really? Who's is it?" Renji asked, standing beside Rukia at the doorway.

"I don't know. But I'm trying to…ah-ha! Recent calls. Let's see…" Rangiku's eyes widened.

"Who did they call?" Ichigo asked, finding her sudden silence unexpected, and a little chilling since it was Rangiku, or all people, who as reduced to silence.

"March 7th 2006…" Rangiku read the details of the call history out loud, as if saying it would make the unbelievable believable. "The person who owned this phone rang the same person more than five times. Their name is…is Ren."

"What?" The Soul Reapers all heard that name. They turned around to look at Ren, who was too busy admiring a vase of flowers to notice. She accidentally nudged the small table the vase was on, it wobbled and fell to the ground, where it shattered into a pile of petals and china while the carpet quickly absorbed the water like a sponge.

"It was already broken," Ren quickly lied with a very unconvinced look on her face, thinking that was why they were giving her such weird looks. But, they persisted on staring at her with those confused eyes. "Okay, I lied, I broke it." Ren admitted. They continued to stare at her. "That's getting annoying, guys."

"Ren, do you recognise this?" Rangiku asked, peering between Ichigo's and Renji's heads and holding the phone in front of her face.

"Nope." Ren immediately answered. "Why?"

"Because whoever owned it called you several times six years ago."

"Now that could have been anyone. Maybe there's another Ren I don't know about, or maybe it's a nickname for somebody else." The Soul Reapers till looked doubtful. "You want proof? Ring that number. And put it on speaker."

"…Kay…" Rangiku tapped at the buttons on the phone, and after several seconds of clicking noises, there was a silence.

_Boo-da-beep!_

"_The number you have called is not available."_

"See? It can't be me."

"You could have easily changed phones." Renji pointed out.

"Yeah, but-"

"So it must have been you!"

"But it wasn't!"

"That's enough!" Toshiro said loudly, stepping between the two. "Alright, lets' just assume that this person isn't the Ren we know. For now."

"…" Renji folded his arms, disgruntled.

"Rangiku, is there anything else on that phone? A text, perhaps?"

"Let's see, um…Oh, here it is!" Rangiku, who was getting the hang of this old technology, quickly found what she was looking for. "One was recently sent from Re-I mean that person from before, Captain."

"Date?"

"March 7th 2006, 5:13pm."

"What does it say?"

"It says 'I'm at warehouse 4. Where are you?'."

"Warehouse 4?" Rukia repeated.

"…" Ren said nothing, and the only reaction she gave was her eyes widening slightly.

"I saw something that looked like a bunch of warehouses earlier. It's near the edge of the village." Ichigo said.

"Then that's our next stop." Toshiro decided. "Let's go." The Soul Reapers immediately began to leave the house, Rangiku tossing the phone back on the ground where she found it.

"Um, let's not go?" Ren said nervously. But nobody heard her, and they were already through the gate. "Yeah, that's what I thought." Ren grumbled, her arms hanging by her sides as she trudged out of the only untarnished place in this godforsaken village. So much for going home…

…

"Well…here we are." Rangiku said hesitantly. The group had arrived at Warehouse 4. Well, that number on the sign definitely _looked_ like a 4 through all the burns and rust. The building itself was completely empty, the windows near the ceiling were cracked and yellowed with a few holes in them and, once again, there were a few dead bodies ly8ing in the warehouse. Nobody could see much from outside the warehouse, but everybody was getting a bad vibe from this place, especially Ren and Toshiro, one of whose back was starting to get warm.

"Let's get this over with." Ichigo said, breaking the nervous silence.

"Right. You guys can check it out, while I keep watch." Ren said, her eyes looking left and right.

"Ren, what could you possibly keep watch for?" Renji asked, annoyed that one; she was avoiding an investigation, and two; she had used the same excuse again.

"Feathers." Ren answered immediately. The Soul Reapers were not convinced.

"We can sense them." Rukia said.

"Yeah, I know, but you need someone to fight them off while you investigate, right?" Ren asked hopefully. The Soul Reapers said nothing, and Ren knew that she hadn't convinced them. So, she decided to come clean. "Look, can I just not go in there? It's giving me the heebie jeebies."

"We're creeped out, too, but we-"

"No, you don't get it, Ichigo." Ren cried, desperation in her voice. "I absolutely cannot go inside that building! Something bad might happen to me in there!" Ren's hand wet to her head and he collapsed on her knees as her brain decided that this was the perfect time to get another headache, but it didn't last long, since Ren was now clutching her arms while hunched forward a little. "I just don't like this place! I shouldn't be here!"

"…" Through all this, Toshiro said nothing. He could see that Ren's body was quaking with fear. He had never seen her that scared before. This place really did frighten her. Toshiro immediately started to feel guilty. Here he was, trying to get Ren to remember her past, and he had practically ignored her fear and her attempts to get away from Redwood. Some friend he was. But, Toshiro still wanted to know what happened here, so he decided to reach a compromise. Toshiro went up to Ren, knelt down by her side and placed an arm around her shoulder. Ren almost immediately stopped shaking when Toshiro touched her, and she looked up at him.

"Shiro?" Ren said quietly, a hint of fear still in her eyes.

"Ren…does this place frighten you?" Toshiro asked. Ren nodded. "That's okay. I'm sorry I forced you to endure this. To be honest, it scares me a little, too. In fact, when I found this village, I almost threw up when I saw a dead body." This comment made Ren giggle a little at the image of Toshiro being freaked out, and Toshiro smiled just a little bit at this. Ren was starting to get a little less scared, but Toshiro could still clearly see the terror in her face. "Tell you what, Ren. How about we make a deal?"

"I'm listening…" Ren said, a sceptic look in her eye that said 'You'd better not lie about there being chocolate.'.

"Alright. Come in this warehouse with us and see if you remember anything. If you don't, then that's fine. You don't have to force it. I'll leave Ichigo and the others to continue investigating this village, and you and I can go home. And um…" Toshiro tried to think of an offer that Ren couldn't say no to and didn't involve non-existent chocolate, or non-existent anything else. "And I'll play on the Xbox with you." Ren's face brightened up immediately, but still had a cautious glint in her eyes.

"Can we play the Guitar Hero game with the full band kit?" Ren asked quietly.

"Of course." Toshiro nodded. Ren fell silent, thinking it over. "So, what do you say?"

"Okay?" Ren said with a small smile, and Toshiro smiled back. "But I call dibs on the drums."

"Whatever you want, Ren." Toshiro stood up and offered Ren his hand. "Can you stand?" Ren took his hand and stood up.

"Soooo…does this mean I can have my pills back?"

"Here." Trusting Ren to not run away, Toshiro handed her the pills and she happily took them from his hand, placing them back in her pocket. "You ready?"

"I guess." Ren said with an uncertain shrug.

"Toshiro, what's taking you so long? Ichigo called, who was still waiting at the entrance of the warehouse with the others.

"That's Captain Hitsugaya to you." Toshiro instinctively said, walking towards the warehouse with Ren following close behind. "Let's get going."

"Yes, sir." The Soul Reapers followed the captain into the warehouse. The building was even emptier than it appeared from the outside, save for the four dead bodies lying on the ground, and the smell of ash and cooked flesh was heavy in the air, but to everyone's secret disgust, they had become accustomed to the stench after being in this village for so long. These dead bodies were also burnt beyond recognition, but they were also different from the other dead bodies. The corpses before had hints of bone and red flesh on them, but not these bodies; they had been turned completely black. It was as if the slightest touch would turn them into a pile of charcoal. Looking around, the group could see that the metallic walls and pillars were stained with blackness.

"No doubt about it." Renji broke the silence as everyone paused in the middle of the building. "The arsonist must have started here."

"Hey, look, a knife." Ichigo spotted a knife lying on the ground next to one of the dead bodies. It was a butterfly knife, the blade caked with a blackness that was flaking, and the floor underneath the body was a little darker than the rest of it.

"This one was killed before everyone else, and before this place went up in flames." Rangiku concluded.

"Eh?" Ren, who had been standing in the warehouse fearfully and quietly the whole time, turned around and noticed the body of the stab victim right behind her. Her eyes shone with fear and she somehow got a feeling that she had to leave this place right now! "You guys, we-we should go." Ren said quickly, facing the group again.

"This won't take long, Ren." Ichigo said, trying to reassure Ren, but if the look on her face was anything to go by, then he had failed.

"But why would they kill this person if they were going to destroy this place anyway?" Toshiro wondered.

"Maybe White Raven was trying to stop a whistle-blower." Renji suggested.

"Maybe." Rukia agreed.

"Who cares? Let's go!" Ren was starting to look all around herself with a panicked expression on her face.

"_Toshiro, I think she recognises this place!" _Zena said.

_Yeah, and she wants to leave._ Toshiro said mentally. _This means she must have seen who destroyed the village._

"Ren, do you recognise this place?" Toshiro asked.

"Yesyesyes." Ren nodded quickly. "Can we go now?"

"Were you here alone?"

"No, I wasn't." Ren said, fumbling in her pockets until she pulled out her pills. She started unscrewing the cap, but in her panic, he dropped them, and they spilled on the floor beside her feet. "Ah!"

"…" The Soul Reapers watched Ren panic, unsure on what exactly they should do in this situation.

"No…Stay away from me…I…Don't come any closer…" Ren muttered, her hands going to her head. Toshiro started to go to Ren, but Rukia blocked his way with her arm.

"Captain Hitsugaya, if I may." Rukia said. Toshiro said nothing, and he backed away a couple paces and indicated Ren to wordlessly say 'She's all yours.'. Rukia approached Ren, who didn't notice until she heard Rukia's voice saying "Ren, look at me." Ren looked at Rukia, who was standing in front of her with a calm expression on her face, and seeing that seemed to calm Ren down a little. "Ren, how many people, including you, entered this village?"

"Eto…" Ren muttered, and started counting on her fingers. "Six."

"And how many people, including you, are in this building?"

"Ichi, ni, san, shi, go…roku." Ren answered. "I mean six."

"Is there anyone else here?"

"No."

"Is there anyone here who wants to harm you?"

"…No." Ren said, now significantly calmer.

"There you go." Rukia said with a reassuring smile. "You've got nothing to be afraid of. There's no-one here but us."

"!" After hearing those words, Ren suddenly looked very frightened, her eyes widening and losing their light, and she could hear her heart pounding in her ears.

"Let's clear this up." Rukia, not noticing this change, knelt down and started picking up Ren's pills.

"Nicely done, Rukia." Renji, also not noticing Ren's silence, went up to the two girls. "Now that you're done freaking out, can you tell us about this place?" No answer. "Uh, Ren?" Renji said. Again, no answer.

"There we are." Rukia stood up, screwing the cap on the pill bottle. "Here are your pills, Ren." Rukia handed the bottle to Ren, but she didn't take them. Ren didn't move or say anything; she was staring straight ahead of her as if Rukia wasn't there.

"Get behind me, Rukia." Renji moved Rukia behind him and paced an arm in front of her for good measure. "Ren, say something."

"What's going on over there?" Toshiro asked, the commotion not going unnoticed. While this was going on, Ren was in her own world, oblivious to what her friends were saying to her or to each other. All she could hear were lots of voices that were unfamiliar to her, yet familiar at the same time. And some of the sounds and smells were familiar, too, like the sound of fire burning, the smell of ashes, the sound of wicked laughter, and the smell of blood and, at the very end, the sound of glass breaking.

And then, there was silence.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Ren let out an ear-splitting scream, her hands going to her head. Renji instinctively moved Rukia further back, and straight after this, Renji found himself flung off his feet. He slammed into a metal post and slid onto the ground, his back leaning against the post and barely conscious.

"Renji!" Ichigo went over to help Renji, while the rest of the group were too busy staring at Ren. She now looked even more panicked than before, he grip on her head became tighter, and her blank eyes were shifting in different directions, as if she were suddenly surrounded.

"Ren, are you alright?" Rukia asked, reaching out a concerned hand. When it was inches away from Ren's body, Ren slapped it away with a gasp. She stepped back from Rukia, but when she reached the body of the stab victim, she tripped over it and fell backwards on the ground.

"…" Toshiro started to go towards Ren after she tripped out of concern, but for some reason, he stopped himself. Ren was clearly terrified, and his first, second and third instincts were telling him to comfort her, yet he was doing nothing. Why was he doing nothing? Was it because he knew Ren was remembering something? Or, was it because, for the first time in his life, he had absolutely no idea what to do? He didn't know why he stopped, so he just stood in silence as Ren shifted onto her knees and let her hands go back to her head, muttering under her breath.

"Hey…" Rukia side-stepped around the dead body and got down on one knee in front of Ren. "What's the matter?" Rukia reached out to Ren again, but the sound of something slashing through the air stopped her. There was a silence. Rukia felt something sting on her face, which was following by something dripping down her cheek. Rukia reached a hand up to the sensation. It felt wet and warm, and also a little sticky. Blood. Looking back at Ren, Rukia noticed Ren was holding something in her hand. It was the knife Ichigo had spotted, and it had fresh, red blood on the edge. "Ren?" Rukia said, her voice half confused about what was happening, and half hurt at the fact that Ren had tried to hurt her. Ren responded by staggering back onto her feet and walking a few paces backwards from Rukia and the others, keeping the knife pointed at them.

"Just leave me alone…Please?" Ren whimpered, the hand holding the knife shaking while the other hand was planted firmly on her head. "Just leave me alone." Ren said again, her eyes filling with frightened tears.

"…" Those tears didn't go unnoticed by Toshiro, and for reasons he didn't understand, some of the words that Cyrus said to him rang through his head.

"_But, she didn't seem insane to me. If anything, she was scared. Very scared. She had just been through Hell, and she was shut away for reasons she didn't understand."_

"Wait a second…" Toshiro said to himself. Those words that old man said were starting to make sense now that he was in Redwood where it all happened. So, while the rest of the group tried to calm Ren down with futile attempts, Toshiro recollected everything that he had heard or found out, trying to find a connection.

"_Honestly, I have no idea why I see him. And half the time, I don't even remember what we talk about in there."_

"_Little girl, you are under the effects of complex illusions. Illusions of the mind."_

"_I have no idea what happened in 2006."_

"_He's making sure Ren's forgotten past stays forgotten!"_

"Stay away from me! Ren frantically slashed the air in front of her, even though no-one was coming near her.

"Ren, we're not going to hurt you." Rukia insisted.

"We're you're friends!" Ichigo called from where he and Renji were, backing Rukia up. Ichigo turned his attention back to Renji when he groaned.

"_Wherever that village is, it's either abandoned, or the village heads are that determined to keep something secret."_

"_In fact, she couldn't remember an entire fortnight."_

"_Nobody must find out about Redwood's existence."_

"Why are you doing this to me?! I never did anything to you!" Ren cried.

"We didn't do anything to you, either." Rangiku said, standing beside Rukia.

"_They spent a lot of their time tormenting that girl."_

"_I can't stop now. I haven't stopped for six years."_

"_They knew the whole time that they were playing with fire, yet they persisted. And that Thornton man did nothing to stop his daughter. His father is NOT a nice man! And she is not a nice girl."_

"JUST GO AWAY!" Ren yelled, charging towards the girls. Rangiku quickly pushed Rukia out of the way, and barely dodged the knife from making a fatal blow, even though it scratched down the length of her arm.

"_He who destroys a soul destroys the world. He who saves a soul saves the world."_

"_Ren isn't the only one we're protecting."_

"_For some reason, that day seems to make sense now."_

"I'm fine." Rangiku said before Rukia could ask about her arm.

"Ichigo, I'll be fine." Renji said in a half-awake voice, getting Ichigo's attention. "So go to Rukia, now." Ichigo nodded.

"_You can't play with human beings like they're toys, Rosalie!"_

"_What I did. What Katelyn did. That's nothing compared to what she went through back then."_

"_I think the arsonist and The Redwood Reaper might be the same person."_

"Rukia, Rangiku, get back!" Ichigo ordered, hooking his arms underneath Ren's. Immediately, Ren started struggling and yelling to be let go, until several second later she squirmed out of her cardigan and ran from Ichigo, who was left holding a girl's cardigan in his arms.

"Wh-What are you going to do to me?" Ren asked quietly and fearfully, clutching her arms while still keeping her grip on the knife strong.

"Ren…It's okay…We're not going to hurt you." Ichigo said slowly and calmly, raising his open palms to shoulder height to prove he was harmless with Ren's cardigan hanging on his arm, and he gradually got closer to Ren. But, this only seemed to make her even more afraid.

"_Almost all the bodies we've found were burnt beyond recognition. But the body of that girl, and the man that Renji mentioned earlier, had their own unique deaths. Almost like…"_

"_Like they were being hunted!"_

"_All this fuss…for a little girl."_

"_The Redwood Reaper did this to us. They doomed us all. We didn't leave them alone. The Redwood Reaper brings misfortune wherever they go. Anyone associated with them is doomed."_

"_That girl was one of the few survivors. She was right there when she saw those people get burnt alive."_

"_I've never seen one before, but it can't be easy for Ren to fight these Feathers."_

"Ren, let go of that knife." Ichigo said, reaching towards Ren.

"NOOOO!" Ren screamed, closing her eyes and lunging towards Ichigo. Ichigo jumped to the side, and the knife just barely missed him, making a small tear on the side of his shirt.

"_The power of each family was something that each one competed in in the past. Things are easier now, but that rivalry…it caused so much pain. Not just to the head families, but to the villagers, too."_

"_The true identity of C12…is Ren Conner."_

"_I wasn't able to see anything that happened on that date. However, for a few days, I felt as though my powers were being forced to act before their time."_

"Ah…"Ren gasped. She stumbled back, her eyes shining. "Ah…No…I…I didn't mean…"

"Ren, it's okay, you missed me." Ichigo tried to reassure Ren, showing her the rip in his short. Although, he considered himself lucky that he had such great reflexes. Another second later, and he would probably end up like that dead body lying in a blackened pool of his own blood.

"_I've always had great control of my telekinesis. It's almost as if I've done it before."_

"…_I think it's safe to assume that there are Cielvian forces at work here."_

"_It's weird, because I only just got the Shackles, yet it feels like I've had them my entire life."_

"!" After recapping everything he had learnt, Toshiro's eyes went wide. How could he not have seen it before? As Ren stared ahead of her with scared, watery eyes, Toshiro walked towards her, going past Ichigo, Rukia and Rangiku and only stopping when he was in between the Soul Reapers and Ren. Ren immediately noticed Toshiro's presence, and took a step back while keeping her knife hand raised in her trembling hand. Toshiro was silent, still reeling from the shock of what he had just realised.

"Ren…" Toshiro started, his mind flashing back to the vision he had of C12, no, Ren, standing in the flames. What he said next shocked everyone, including Ren.

"Did you destroy Redwood?"

"…" Nobody said anything. They couldn't. Ren? Destroying Redwood? It seemed too impossible, and too unlikely. This was Ren they were talking about here! Rangiku completely forgot about her still bleeding arm, and Renji was convinced that he must have got a concussion after hitting that pillar, they were that shocked and stunned.

"Toshiro…do you know what you're saying?" Ichigo asked. No response. Not even a correction of calling him by his title. Toshiro's focus was on Ren and only Ren. Ren, meanwhile, said and did nothing, her eyes blank with shock.

"Your amnesia…the cover-up…The Blank Fortnight…the Cielvian presence…that room in the village hall…they were all linked together." Toshiro realised, saying it to both Ren and to himself. "It was a conspiracy that everyone but you was in on, wasn't it? It all makes sense now. The anniversary and the cover-up were kept a secret because you're the Redwood Reaper!"

"…" Ren said nothing. She staggered back a couple paces. "Ah…aaa…ahh…"

"Ren…drop that knife. We can talk about this." Toshiro said, approaching Ren.

"NOOOOO!" Ren screamed, gripping the knife even harder than before as she attacked again, closing her eyes tightly. She felt the knife scrape across something soft and then become firmly stuck. Ren knew she had hit something. Ren opened her eyes and gasped. The knife had drawn blood, but it was in the strong grip of Toshiro's hand. Without showing any pain, Toshiro looked Ren straight into her eyes, which were regaining their light. Ren was calming down.

"Is it true?" Toshiro asked. He thought that, after a panic attack like that, Ren must have remembered what happened to this place. But, some part of him didn't want to believe that Ren was capable of killing so many people. Ren stared at the ground, her eyes hidden from view.

"Shiro…" Ren said quietly. Toshiro barely heard her, so he leaned closer. Ren looked back up again, and Toshiro saw fresh tears falling down her face. "I destroyed Redwood."

"!" Toshiro's eyes widened. He was right about two things. One; Ren did remember what caused Redwood's destruction. Two; she was indeed the Redwood Reaper. But, for the first time, Toshiro wasn't happy or even satisfied that he knew the answers. Not is the truth was this awful. Ren let go of the knife and started to wobble before she fell onto her knees.

"Ren!" Toshiro dropped the knife and caught Ren before she hit the ground. Her eyes were closed and her tear-stained face was still. She had passed out. Toshiro held Ren close, closing his eyes. As the other Soul Reapers cautiously made their way to their captain, except for Renji, who was still a little dizzy, they heard him ask a single question. Of course, Toshiro had even more questions he wanted answers to, but of all the questions he could have asked, at this point, he could only bring himself to ask one, even though he knew Ren, or anybody, wouldn't be able to answer it.

"What happened to you, Ren?"

**Well, there you have it! Ren is the one responsible for everything about the conspiracy! The destruction of the village, the Blank Fortnight; everything! So, what exactly happened to Ren to bring her to this point? Next time, Toshiro digs deeper into Ren's past in the hopes that he can solve his mystery, and save Ren from herself! In the meantime, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!**


	32. Silence

**Hi, guys! Hope you all had a good Christmas and new year! Bring on 2015, WOO! Well, enough being enthusiastic about the New Year. Instead, let's be enthusiastic about this next chapter, where Toshiro is going to really get digging in Ren's past to find out why Redwood got destroyed. Enjoy the ride!**

Chapter 30

Silence

_**Ren is the heart and soul of the villages.**_

_**She saved us from ourselves.**_

_**We'd do anything for her.**_

_**Although I doubt she notices.**_

_**I'm not sure if it will last for the rest of her life.**_

_**Maybe she'll figure it out.**_

_**Who knows?**_

_**But no matter what, we will do what we have to.**_

_**Even if it goes against our beliefs.**_

_**If it's for the sake of her smile, so be it.**_

_**That alone will make everything worth it**_

_**We don't want her to relive that torment all over again.**_

_**More than that…**_

_**We just want Ren to be happy.**_

…

In the living room of Ren's house, everyone was quiet and tense, and the colourful light from the sunset did nothing to help the mood. Renji and Ichigo took to leaning on opposite walls, Rangiku was sat on a sofa with one hand on her bandaged arm, and Toshiro was sitting on another sofa, completely silent. Ever since Ren's panic attack, nobody had said a word except instructions on what to do with the wounded and Ren. Toshiro clasped his bandaged hand. He had never seen Ren act like that before. Just what the hell happened to her? That's what everyone was thinking. Neither of them knew what to make of the situation. So now, they were all in this room, waiting. Waiting for word from Rukia. The sound of footsteps on the stairs immediately snapped everyone out of their morbid expressions and moods and stood up or moved away from the walls, just as Rukia walked into the room, a fresh band aid on her face, which wore a sad expression.

"How is she?" Renji was the first to ask.

"It's difficult to say." Rukia answered honestly. "While she isn't physically injured, I can't say anything about her mental state."

"You mean, you don't know why she panicked like that?" Rukia shaking her head was the answer to Ichigo's question.

"I can't believe a sweet girl like Ren could massacre an entire village." Rangiku said quietly.

"I'd get it if it was that green woman with the whip. She seems capable of slaughtering people any day of the week. What's her name again?"

"Etheline, Ichigo." Rukia said, mentally rolling her eyes at the fact that Ichigo still had problems with names and faces.

"Right, her."

"Maybe she had a reason." Rangiku suggested.

"Like what?" Ichigo asked.

"Well, she targeted the head family, right? Maybe they did something to her, and she was out for revenge."

"By destroying the whole place? That seems a bit twisted for revenge."

"…"Toshiro's hand twitched at Renji's comment. He just called the destruction 'twisted'. He just called Ren 'twisted'!

"Screw this! I'm gonna ask her about it myself."

"Renji, don't!" Rukia blocked the door out of the living room. "Ren is asleep right now. You shouldn't disturb her."

"I don't care. She's got some explaining to do!"

"Do you really think she'd want to talk about what she went through? You saw her reaction. She was terrified!"

"In case you hadn't noticed, I was on the ground with a concussion, Rangiku!"

"Exactly! You don't know what she saw or did!"

"All I know is that she destroyed a village and slaughtered hundreds of people in cold blood!"

"Everyone, calm down." Toshiro said calmly, while resisting the overwhelming urge to punch Renji in the face. "Yelling at each other isn't going to solve anything. Besides, you'll wake Ren, and its best she stays asleep right now."

"Captain Hitsugaya, what do you think about this?" Rukia asked, relieved that somebody else was on her side.

"I for one agree with Renji." Ichigo said before Toshiro could answer.

"Thank you!"

"But, I also believe that Ren would never do this intentionally."

"So, what? She was possessed?!"

"I don't know, maybe."

"My point exactly! You don't know!"

"Neither do you!"

"Boys, keep it down. You'll wake Ren." Rangiku said, trying to calm everyone down.

"Good! It'll save me the trouble later!"

"…" As Renji continued to yell, Toshiro felt himself get angrier and angrier. Renji had no right to talk about Ren like that! Absolutely no right at all! "Enough, Renji." Toshiro said in a threateningly low voice.

"That's not nearly enough!" Renji retorted. "How could she do that to so many humans?! How could she murder them?! Only a monster would do that!"

"I SAID ENOUGH!" Calling Ren a monster was the last straw. And with that yell, the coffee table in the middle of the room flipped over by itself and the curtains flew for a few seconds like the windows had just been opened in the middle of a storm. The Soul Reapers were silent, stunned at that sudden burst of rage. Toshiro had certainly never done that before. And, after seeing a few white starts shine around the table, everyone confirmed that Toshiro's powers must have gone out of control ever so briefly.

"Sorry." Toshiro apologised, quickly calming down. "That sometimes happens when I get emotional."

"No, its okay, I deserved it. I…I was being a jerk." Renji said in a volume that was barely above a mutter. There was a silence, and the tense atmosphere from before was back, only this time, the air could have been cut with a knife.

"Now what?" Ichigo asked, breaking the silence.

"We wait." Toshiro answered. "Lay low for now. What we did today will likely make the village heads suspicious. So, act as normal as possible. Maybe we'll be able to throw them off somehow. Be especially cautious tomorrow. It's the anniversary, after all. As for Ren, she needs to rest, and she needs time. I'll deal with her myself. Now, you go home. I'll take care of everything here."

"Yes, sir." Rangiku was the first to leave the room, respecting her captain's wishes, with Rukia following her. But, it didn't stop Rangiku from pausing to look over her shoulder at Toshiro before she left the room and the house. Renji followed suit after muttering another apology to Toshiro, who accepted it with a wordless nod. Ichigo and Toshiro were the only ones left in the room.

"She's not going to be okay, is she?" Ichigo asked.

"No." Toshiro answered simply.

"Does Zena know anything?"

"No." Toshiro said again.

"Do…Do you know anything?" Ichigo said. Toshiro hesitated.

"…No." He admitted, looking at the carpet.

"If you need us for anything, you know where we are."

"Yeah."

"Well…night." Ichigo left the room, leaving Toshiro alone. Well, he was alone when Toshiro heard the front door close. He knew that Ren's brother and parents wouldn't be home until later today, and Ren was fast asleep in her room. And after the day he's had, Toshiro wanted nothing more than to shut his eyes and put it behind him. So, as soon as he had put the coffee table pack in place and tidied up, he trudged up the stairs and into his room. He may be exhausted, but he thought the things he had seen and learnt wouldn't let him get even a moments rest. But, somehow, he managed to sleep like a log.

…

The next morning, Toshiro wasted no time in going to the door leading to Ren's room. As he thought, it was shut. Maybe if he reminded Ren about the promise he made to play video games with her, Ren would come out and talk to him like nothing ever happened yesterday. That sounded like something Ren would do. So, with confidence, Toshiro raised a hand up to knock.

"She's not home."

"Huh?" Toshiro turned around. It was Harley, wearing dark trousers and a white shirt with a black tie draped around his shoulders.

"Ren's not home." Harley said again, starting to tie his tie.

"Where is she then?" Toshiro asked.

"She's out. Apparently there's a sale on anime and manga in town. Dad's taking her now."

"I see." Toshiro said. Well, at least she was getting her mind off of what was going on. That gave at least some relief to Toshiro.

"My parents and I will be out for a while. We'll be back after lunch. There's something for you to eat in the kitchen. All you have to do is heat it up."

"Where are you going?" Toshiro asked, knowing what the answer was going to be.

"Nowhere important." Harley said with a shrug, tightening the knot on his tie until it was nestled neatly in his collar.

_If you have to know, we're going to a memorial service for the anniversary._ Harley thought, and Toshiro heard every word. Nowadays, his telepathy seemed to be acting without him realising it. It had become almost as natural as blinking. Even the burning on his back when it happened was less intense.

_Right._ Toshiro thought back. _Wait a minute, how do you know I'm telepathic?_

_I didn't. I just guessed._

_Oh, okay. _Toshiro decided not to question this any further. If Harley was anything like his sister, then he was bound to have an uncanny ability to know things based on a hunch. That's how Ren found out about the existence of Zena, after all.

"Harley, are you ready? We're leaving!"

"Coming, Mum!" Harley yelled down the stairs.

"When will Ren be back?"

"She'll be home after Mum and I get back. Dad is going to pick her up and bring her home."

"Okay." Toshiro nodded.

_Don't do anything stupid today_. Harley thought.

_I won't._

"Harley, now!"

"I heard you the first time!" Harley quickly turned around and made his way down the stairs, and Toshiro was alone once again. He just stood silently outside the door to Ren's room, listening to the sound of a car going down the driveway and on the road, leaving the area surrounding the house. With a sigh, Toshiro went back into his room, leaning his back on it to slowly close it until it clicked.

"Now what?" Toshiro said out loud, repeating what Ichigo said yesterday. This time, he really had no idea what to do. This was a huge conspiracy about a village destroyed by a member of the head family. But, how? And why? There had to be a missing puzzle piece or two still lying around somewhere. And he was going to find it. With a flick of his wrist, the rucksack containing all the folders, files and documents he had gathered slid out from underneath his bed. He knelt down on the ground and pulled the files out, placing them all in a pile. He threw the rucksack aside and took a look at the files. They were all the resident records, details on the Thornton family, Nathan's papers for transferring schools, and then there was…that. Toshiro looked behind him at the door. Right next to it, and lying on the floor, was the diary he had thrown across the room all those days ago, still in exactly the same position as it was in when he threw it. He hadn't dared to touch it since then, for fear of experiencing those visions again. But, considering the situation he was in, it wouldn't hurt to try.

_Just a quick look…_ Toshiro thought, reaching out towards the diary. He hesitated when his fingertips were millimetres away. He dug into his reserves of courage and touched the front cover of the diary, bracing himself for the onslaught to come. Nothing. No screaming. No visions. Nothing. Feeling relieved, and a little stupid, Toshiro held the diary properly and flicked through the pages until it stopped somewhere in the middle. The writing was quite scruffy, and it looked more like a spider had walked in ink and crawled over the pages than of somebody's writing. If Toshiro really concentrated, he could read it, or at least make guesses on what some of the words were. And he thought Ren's handwriting was bad. Compared to this diary, Ren wrote neatly! Toshiro flicked through the pages to the front, and saw a pink fabric square saying "This diary belongs to" and nothing after that.

_No name… _Toshiro thought. _Damn._ Toshiro shut the diary and tossed it onto the pile of files. He'll deal with that later.

"Zena, something still doesn't make sense. There has to be a reason why Redwood got destroyed, but I don't know where to look first." Toshiro said, and he waited for Zena to appear in his room or respond mentally like she usually did. And waited. And waited some more. "Zena?" No response. Toshiro sighed. "Great. She's ignoring me." Toshiro stood up and looked out the window of the room, giving him a good view of the village hall. "It can't be helped."

A few minutes later

"No-one's around. Good." Assured that nobody could see him, Toshiro opened the door to the village hall a crack and slipped inside, quickly closing the door behind him. He was well aware of ordering the other Soul Reapers to not do anything suspicious, but he just couldn't help himself. He HAD to know what happened all those years ago. And so, without hesitation, he flashed his ID at the lock and entered the storage room, hoping to find more information. He dumped the empty Keroppi rucksack on one of the tables and started scanning the boxes with his eyes. He had records of who lived where, information on Redwood's head family, a school file about Ren, a medical file also about Ren and, for some reason he didn't understand, a transfer notice for Nathan, along with that damn diary. What else could he possibly find useful? Perhaps reports on the Redwood incident were here? Something from the police? Or maybe something happened at Ren's school during the Blank Fortnight?

"Right." With that in mind, Toshiro started looking for something that looked like it came from the police or the school. He found the school one first and dragged the box off the lower shelf, letting it drop on the table. He grabbed a file marked ACCIDENTS and opened it up.

_According to this, there were a few accidents at the school six years ago._ Toshiro thought. _At one point, the door in the storage closet in the gym got damaged from the inside._

"That explains the crack." Toshiro muttered, remembering when he found the crack on the door a few days ago.

_Not long after that, a male student in the eleventh grade fell down the stairs. A student in the seventh grade came forward and confessed to pushing them, even though there was no evidence indicating that they did, so the case was dismissed and listed as an accident. _Toshiro searched for a name, whether it was of the victim of the person who said they pushed them. _And, of course, there is none._ Toshiro shifted the papers aside to read the rest. His eyes widened. _What? This can't be right! It says that near the end of the week, there was an incident where all the windows in the cafeteria broke at the same time, and there was no evidence to show that it was vandalism. That's impossible!_

"Unless…" Toshiro started, remembering when Ren broke a glass in the cafeteria, and did it again in the doctor's office, but with a bottle of disinfectant. "Zena did say that she felt her powers were being used. Maybe…maybe Ren accidentally used her telekinesis." Toshiro checked the dates of the incidents. They were all within the Blank Fortnight.

_Of course! _Toshiro thought, feeling a few more puzzle pieces fit together in his head. _Ren must have had access to Zena's powers during that fortnight. And after the village got destroyed, she forgot she ever used them, which is why there is nothing to be found anywhere but here about the Blank Fortnight. It was like that before this mess with White Raven started, anytime Ren used one of Zena's abilities, she forgot. That has to be it!_

"So how did she get access to them in the first place?" Toshiro thought out loud. "If she's a reincarnation, then she should have gained her powers when she reached the same age as Zena. Yet she got them six years early. Why is that? Is it because she came in contact with a strong Cielvian force like I did? No, that can't be it." Toshiro remembered when Ren was enveloped by the white pillar of light in the city square all those weeks ago. "I haven't been through an Awakening like Ren yet. And there's the fact that I still remember every moment I use Ryuki's powers, unless he actually takes control of my body. Why was Ren the only one who forgot? Oh, well." Toshiro shut the file and placed it in his, or rather, Ren's, rucksack. "I'll ask Zena when she stops ignoring me." Toshiro turned away from the rucksack and looked back at the shelves. He immediately saw a box with a black stamp shaped like some kind of shield or crest on the side. It was the symbol the police in this country would have on their uniforms. Just what he was looking for.

"Let's see…" Toshiro dragged that box off the shelf and placed it on the table, replacing the other box back where he found it before searching through the second. There were a few files in there, but most of the box was taken up by little black cassette tapes. Toshiro took one out and read the label. It was dated March 7th 2006. Placing that tape on the table, Toshiro glanced at the rest of the tapes in the box. They were all dated to March 7th 2006. And considering what this room contained, he could only assume they were recorded during the Blank Fortnight, and maybe even about the destruction of Redwood.

_There has to be hundreds in here._ Toshiro thought. _He took a few moments to look around the room. There's no device here that can play them. And the box is too big for me to carry back. Besides, even if I could take it, the heads would know it was missing, and they'll immediately suspect me._

"Damn it." Toshiro grabbed the rucksack and dumped it beside the box. He grabbed a handful of tapes and dropped them inside the bag, hoping that he would get lucky and find something on those tapes, even throwing in the first tape he picked up for good measure. Although, he was highly doubtful Ren's house would have anything that could play them.

"That's enough." Deciding that he had already been in here for too long, Toshiro moved the box exactly where he found it, grabbed the rucksack, turned off the light and left the room, checking the room with a quick glance to make sure he hadn't left anything behind before shutting the door behind him. The backpack felt a lot lighter than when he last came here, but if luck was on his side, then maybe, just maybe, he could find something, anything, to solve this mystery once and for all.

…

"Not home yet, huh?" Toshiro muttered, staring down at the shoes lying on the floor of the boot room. Harley's black loafers were gone. Ren's mother's black heels were gone. Ren's father's work shoes were gone. And, Ren's light grey and pink elastic Skechers were gone. He still had the house to himself. Although, Toshiro was surprised he could make out that the Conner family was gone; there were all sorts of shoes lying around, from sandals to flip flops to Crocs. Toshiro could see Ren's school shoes lying among the throng of footwear. He could still vividly remember how those shoes were what allowed him to meet Ren. Toshiro felt something sting at that memory. For the first time, Toshiro was starting to think that, maybe, if he had never met Ren, then maybe this whole mess wouldn't have happened in the first place. Toshiro shook his head to get the thought out of there. He had more important things to worry about, so he slipped out of his brown shoes and walked into the house. He wandered up the stairs and into his bedroom, dumping the rucksack on his bed. As he unzipped it, Toshiro mentally decided to search the house for a cassette player and see if any of these were useful. The documents waiting on the floor could wait for another day. So, Toshiro grabbed the first tape he saw, fished the keys to the study out of his desk drawer and went to the first logical place to look.

_Let's just hope they don't come home before I can get out of there._ Toshiro thought as he unlocked the study and entered it. It was just as grand and pristine as when he first entered it several days ago. Only now, he would have to be more cautious than ever.

"Let's see…" Toshiro checked the desk first. Nothing but a few sheets of paper and files. Clearly, Marcus had done some cleaning since Toshiro's last visit. But, no cassette player. So, he turned his attention to the bookshelves. That's when he saw it. There, nestled between a miniature bust of a man and a small vase, was a cassette player, complete with an attached handle to hold it. Toshiro immediately took it off the shelf and placed it on the desk.

_Does it work?_ Toshiro thought. He noticed how there was already a tape inside the machine. Curious, he found the PLAY button and pressed it.

"WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE! WE'VE GOT FUN 'N' GAMES!"

"Ah!" Toshiro yelled, surprised at the unexpected rock song. For some reason, he was expecting something like an interview or a personal spoken diary entry. "Stop, stop, stop, where's the sto-there!" Toshiro finally found the STOP button and pressed it, bringing the room to a silence, which was broken by Toshiro's relieved sigh. "I'll take that as a 'yes'." Toshiro ejected the tape and set it down next to the machine. It was labelled 'Marcus' Rock Mix'. And it looked pretty worn out. Who knew that Marcus liked rock music? Toshiro produced the tape he had randomly grabbed from the rucksack from his pocket and placed it in the player, shutting the compartment closed. He looked at the grandfather clock. It was just a little past twelve. He would have to make this quick. So, without hesitation, he pressed PLAY.

"Interview begins March 7th 2006, 8.07pm." A man's voice said from the machine.

_Here we go…_ Toshiro thought. He picked the machine up and searched it for something to turn the volume up a little louder, because for some reason, there was a little more static than expected. _How am I supposed to hear this when I can't understand what they're saying?_ As soon as Toshiro thought this, a small white glow appeared on the cassette tape, but Toshiro didn't notice, as he was too caught up in trying to hear the recording.

"Damn it, I need to hear this." Toshiro said, growing frustrated. That's when he noticed the glow on the cassette tape. "What?" Toshiro placed the machine back on the desk, and almost immediately, the light started to spread to take up the entire machine and gradually expanded past the machine and past the desk, threatening to fill up the entire room. Toshiro backed away from the glow in caution, and he was too preoccupied to notice the burning sensation on his back. "Wh…What's going on? Ah!" Finally, the light had grown too bright and too large for him to look at, and he covered his eyes as the light covered his body. "So…bright…Is it over?" Toshiro dared to squint open an eye. He wasn't blinded, so that was something. He opened his eye he rest of the way, and the other eye immediately followed suit at what he saw. He wasn't in the study anymore. And he wasn't alone. He was now standing in a hallway of a building he had never been in before, and he was surrounded by people wearing police uniforms. Toshiro had somehow appeared in the middle of a police station. But, everybody was too busy to notice that a white haired boy had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

_This place…How did I get here?_ Toshiro thought, looking around at his new surroundings.

"Excuse me?" Toshiro called out to a policewoman with a blonde ponytail walking towards him. "Could you tell me where-" Toshiro interrupted himself when the policewoman suddenly walked straight through him, stunning him into silence. "What the…" Toshiro looked at his hands. He could see them, but they were almost completely transparent. "What's going on here? It's like I don't exist here." Toshiro looked around again, and he found a window leading to a view of an interrogation room, and that's when Toshiro realised that he couldn't see his own reflection. "Because I don't exist…" And that was when something clicked in Toshiro's head as he subconsciously recalled what Zena said about Ryuki's powers the other day. "I've entered the past!"

_It must be because of that tape._ Toshiro thought after realising how long he had been talking to himself for. _This is probably the moment when the tape started recording._ Toshiro's attention turned back to the interrogation room. _In there, maybe?_ After seeing three police officers gather at the window out of curiosity, Toshiro confirmed his theory, and approached the window.

"How many is it now?" One police officer asked another.

"This one's the twenty third. And there's still more to go." The second answered.

"What? How many people are they questioning?"

"I don't know. After something this big, I wouldn't be surprised if they questioned all the villagers."

They must be talking about Redwood's destruction. Toshiro thought.

"I guess." The first police officer agreed. "After all, everybody is a suspect."

"No." The third police officer finally spoke up. "The fact remains that the girl destroyed the village. I don't know how, but an eyewitness saw her."

"An eyewitness?"

"She's being interrogated right now." The second police officer indicated the room they were all looking into. "Apparently, she's one of four survivors, including the Conner child, who is a key suspect."

_So there really was more than one survivor._ Toshiro thought.

"Poor girl." The first police officer said.

"Let's go. We have a lot of work to do."

"Yes, sir." The three police officers left the window, giving Toshiro space and room to see the interrogation. He stepped a little closer so that he could see who was inside more clearly. There were two officers, a man and a woman, sitting on one side of the table, and on the other side was a young girl with short black hair.

_That's the girl in the drawing._ Toshiro thought, recognising her straight away. Upon closer inspection, Toshiro saw that the girl had some grazes and several patches of soot on her face and her school uniform, which took the form of a grey pleated skirt and a white short sleeved shirt. Toshiro had seen the skirt enough times to know that it was the lower school uniform of Ren's school, so this girl must be at least eleven, maybe twelve, years old. The girl was refusing to look at the officers, but Toshiro saw the vacant look in her eyes. She was clearly still in shock. This was the look of a survivor. Toshiro spotted a recording device sitting in the middle of the table. That must be where the tape was being made. But, there was a problem. Toshiro saw the lips of the male officer moving, but no sound was coming out. Toshiro couldn't hear a word he was saying. Toshiro leaned closer to the window and placed the side of his head against the glass, hoping to hear something.

"Whoa!" Toshiro yelled as he suddenly fell through the wall and stumbled into the room, a little dazed at what had just happened. "Right, I don't exist. I can just walk through things." Toshiro reminded himself.

"Answer us." The sound of the male officer's voice snapped Toshiro back to the present, or the past, or whatever else he was supposed to call it. "What happened in Redwood?"

"…" The girl said nothing.

"It's okay. Take your time." The female officer said gently. "Go easy on her. She's just a little girl." She said in a harsh whisper to her colleague. The female officer turned her attention back to the girl, who was still not saying a word. "I know this must be difficult, but we really need you to answer the question. What happened in Redwood?" The girl looked up, staring the officers straight in their faces, and quickly cast her eyes aside sadly. There was a silence for a good few seconds.

"I don't know." The girl finally said. "I…"

"…" The police officers leaned forwards in their chair in anticipation, and while Toshiro didn't have a chair to lean forward in, he settled for stepping forward a few paces towards the table.

"I guess they just pushed her too far." The girl said.

"Who's 'they'?" The female officer asked. The girl shut her eyes, silently making it clear that she wasn't going to say anything more. The police officers looked at each other.

"It's pointless continuing." The female officer said, clearly recognising the futility of their questioning.

"But she's an eyewitness to the destruction of Redwood."

"She's in no state for further questioning. She's lost a lot of people she knew, and we're not helping anything. Look if you really want to ask her questions, we'll try again in a few days." The male officer sighed, reluctantly agreeing with his partner.

"Interview terminated March 7th 2006, 8.14pm." The male officer said, and he reached over to the machine to click the stop button. As soon as he did, Toshiro heard a cracking sound. This was followed by a loud smash as the image before him shattered into hundreds of shards, revealing the study back in Ren's house as the shards disappeared as soon as they hit the ground. Toshiro blinked a couple times, still in a daze after what he had just experienced. He looked at his hands, as if he was making sure that he was really back in the present. But, after he touched the desk and noticed how his hand didn't go through it, he knew that he was back.

"Zena, I think I just went into the past." Toshiro said. No response. Zena was still ignoring him. With a sigh, Toshiro ejected the tape from the machine, placing the rock mix tape back and putting the player back where he found it. Pocketing the cassette, Toshiro left the study, locking the door behind him to erase any suspicion. He didn't think much when he went back in his room, dropping the cassette back with the others. It was only after he lay down on his bed with his hands linked behind his head that it finally dawned on him what had just happened. He just went into the past. He travelled through time! He turned his head to the clock sitting on his bedside table.

_It doesn't look like any time has passed since I entered the past._ Toshiro thought, and went back to staring at the ceiling. _I just need to find a way to do it again. This could be just what I need to find the truth. _Although, Toshiro still had a clear memory of what he saw and experienced. He could hear the footsteps of the police officers. The water fountain bubbling was loud and clear. Even the smell of freshly made coffee was strong. The visions and trips to the past were definitely more vivid than any vision of the future he had. It was unbelievable; he was there, and yet he was not there at the same time. It was definitely going to take him a while to get used to that feeling.

"Toshiro, we're back!"

"Oh, you haven't eaten yet."

"…" Toshiro could clearly hear the sound of footsteps downstairs, and as soon as he heard Harley calling up to him and Ren's mother noticed the uncooked lunch, Toshiro knew that Ren's family had come back. He stood up off the bed and shoved everything into the rucksack, including the diary, and pushed it under his bed before anybody could ever get a chance to see it. Besides, if they were back, then that could only mean that Ren was here, too. Sure enough, he heard footsteps coming up the stairs. But, they weren't running or trotting like Ren's footsteps. Instead, they seemed to be going quite slowly; so slowly that it felt like an eternity had passed by the time the footsteps reached the top. Toshiro decided that Ren can't have come upstairs yet, and it must be Harley.

"Harley…" Toshiro started, leaving his room. But, to his surprise, Harley wasn't anywhere to be seen. He heard a door open on his left. Just a little down the hall was the door to Ren's room, and Ren was about to enter her room, holding in her hand a few carrier bags, probably of hauls from the sale she went to today. Ren walked into her room, and turned around to close the door, but stopped when she saw Toshiro. Toshiro said nothing. Ren seemed okay, but Toshiro could see that Ren's eyes no longer carried the sparkle they usually had. This was proof enough to show that Ren was far from okay.

"Ren?" Toshiro said. Ren didn't respond. She just looked away sadly and closed the door behind her. She was gone. And Toshiro was left feeling…what was he feeling? Sad? Confused? Hurt?

"Toshiro, do you want me to heat your lunch up for you?" Ren's mother called up the stairs.

"No." Toshiro answered back, never taking his eyes away from Ren's room. He was tempted to go over to the door and knock, but decided against it. Ren needed some space. He'll try again some other time.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm…" Toshiro looked away from Ren's room. "I'm not hungry." Toshiro went back into his room. It was like he said; all he had to do was wait. Easier said than done.

…

2 days later

Toshiro approached Ren's bedroom door. He had just come back from school, and was loosening the tie around his neck as he walked. He was trying to act as normal as possible so that the village heads wouldn't get suspicious, but that would be very difficult if someone was still shut away in their room. So, eh was going to try and get her to come out.

"Ren?" Toshiro said, knocking on Ren's door. "You didn't come to school today. Are you okay?" No answer. Toshiro sighed. Is she okay? What a stupid question. After what she went through and after what she remembered? Of course she wasn't okay! He had to change the subject, right now. "So, um, I owe you a game on the Xbox, just like I promised. What do you say? Come on, I know you want to." Again, there was no response. "After all, you haven't left your room for days. You must be bored."

_And hungry._ Toshiro mentally added, noticing the plate of uneaten sandwiches Ren's mother made sitting outside her door.

"Ren, you've locked yourself away for a while now, and I don't understand why. I tried talking to your friends, but they're not saying a word. It's probably because the anniversary is over for another year. Still, you know that I'm here for you." Toshiro's hand subconsciously went to the snowflake key ring hanging from the belt loop on his school trousers. "Your friends kept telling me that you and I are like two peas in a pod. But…I just can't believe them right now, because we're the exact opposite because of…this. You've shut everyone out, and you're not telling anybody why. But, you can tell me. So…how about that Xbox game?" Toshiro listened carefully for a sound from Ren's bedroom. Nothing. "We don't have to play the Xbox if you don't want to. What about that white thing in the living room?" This time, Toshiro finally heard Ren say something, and Toshiro actually felt his face light up at the sound of Ren's voice, but it quickly fell when he heard what Ren said.

"Go away, Shiro."

"…" Toshiro was taken aback at Ren's sad, yet cold, rejection. But, no matter how much he hated it, he had to accept Ren's decision. He was not going to force Ren into talking about painful memories. At least, not today.

"Okay…bye." Toshiro said sadly, turning away from Ren's room and trudging back to his own bedroom.

…

4 days later

"Ren, it's me." Toshiro said after knocking on Ren's door, deciding that he had waited long enough since the other day. "Have you changed your mind about the Xbox yet? Do you want to play on it?" Toshiro was met with the familiar silence. "I guess not." Toshiro didn't say anything for a good few seconds, trying to think of something, anything, to say that had nothing to do with the anniversary or Redwood or anything like that. "So, I don't think I've told you this yet, but I just got access to another of Ryuki's powers. I can see and enter the past. Isn't that great?" Silence. "Ren, you've always been great with psychic abilities. I know you can't see into the past, but you trained me to use my telekinesis, so maybe you have a few pointers on this power. Or, you and I could get some fresh air and spar in the back yard. I'm curious about your fighting style. And, honestly, it's getting a little boring without you. Even Renji misses you." Toshiro was met with more silence. "So, the other day, I was trying to find my phone, and I stumbled across your trading card collection. You have a lot. And I had no idea Charizard was worth that much." Even after this small talk, there wasn't a sound from Ren's room. Toshiro looked at the place he saw the sandwiches a few days ago. It had been replaced with yesterday's dinner of chicken korma, and it still had cling film over it in a futile attempt to conserve heat.

_So she still hasn't eaten anything._ Toshiro thought.

"Okay, Ren, listen. I really am trying to be patient, but it's already been a week. You'll have to come out sooner or later. At this rate you'll…" Toshiro stopped himself from saying that Ren would go back to the Lady Jane Institute. He didn't want to see Ren as insane, but the longer Ren spent in her room, the harder it was to repress those thoughts swimming through Toshiro's mind. Even so, as Toshiro rested his head against the door, he couldn't stop himself from saying one quiet plea.

"I don't want you to go mad." He said pleadingly. "Ren…Say something…Anything!"

But, there was only silence.

…

And so, this cycle continued for quite some time. Toshiro would knock on the door. Toshiro would talk. He would hope Ren was listening. And every time, Ren would never say a word. Days went by. Those days soon bled into weeks. Eventually, two weeks had gone by. At this point, Toshiro's visits to Ren had become scarce and short. Eventually, he stopped knocking on Ren's door altogether. But, every time he went past the door, and every time he saw it, Toshiro would always hesitate, contemplating trying again. But, he would just reluctantly walk on.

Feathers had attacked a few times, and Ichigo and the other Soul Reapers would deal with them, but without Ren to purify the cores, the came back every other day, and the cycle would continue. They weren't insanely strong Feathers, so they were thankful for that fact. Eventually, one day, Toshiro had come across the Soul Reapers as they defeated a Feather for the third time. Toshiro found the core and picked it up, and to his surprise, it went from silver to gold. Toshiro couldn't have begun to describe how surprised, and yet happy, he was with this discovery. If he could purify Feather cores, then it could only mean that he was getting stronger. Instinctively, he had looked over his shoulder to tell Ren…only to be brought back to the grim reality that Ren wasn't there. It was obvious to the Soul Reapers and to Toshiro; they were all missing Ren.

Toshiro had tried to enter the past through the tapes again, and each time, he succeeded. But, all that did was give him knowledge that he already knew. The head family of Redwood tormented Ren. The Redwood Reaper was the nickname they gave Ren. Ren was the one who destroyed the village. He may have become better at this ability, but it was still in vain. He still knew nothing.

Dixie passed by Ren's house once when Toshiro was walking back from school. She asked where Ren was. So, Toshiro told the same lie he had been telling the teachers and Ren's friends.

"She's ill with the flu."

Dixie just shrugged it off, saying that Ren shouldn't let a human illness hold her down. Toshiro just said he would tell Ren that Dixie said hello. But, he never did.

Ren's friends kept asking and asking and asking about Ren, but Toshiro didn't, and couldn't, tell them about Ren. He couldn't tell them about the trip to Redwood. He couldn't tell them how Ren had regained her memories. He didn't think they would understand. And, a little part of himself was starting to believe that maybe, this was his fault. What if he never took Ren to Redwood? He knew that Ren wanted to leave that place, but he ignored her fear. He was stupid. So stupid…

The days went by.

The food outside the door went almost uneaten.

The Feathers were killed.

The spirit of Zena was silent.

And still, Ren never came out of that room.

…

27th March, 11am, Ren's house (20 days after the anniversary)

"…" Toshiro stared at Ren's door for the millionth time since Ren had shut herself away. He saw the tray of food outside her room. The soup bowl was half empty.

_Well, at least she's eating something. _Toshiro thought. Toshiro walked away from Ren's room, and as soon as he did, he immediately felt disappointed in himself for not knocking on Ren's door. He wanted Ren to come out, but he had no idea what to say to bring her out. And even if she did leave her room, what would Toshiro do next? What would he say? What would Ren say? He just didn't know. He hated not knowing. And, at the same time, he was afraid of knowing. Toshiro stood in his room, lost in thought. What was he supposed to do now? Was there anywhere else for him to look?

"Damn it." Toshiro cursed. He pulled the green Keroppi rucksack out from under his bed, pulled on his burgundy jacket, stormed down the stairs and left the house. He needed to think in a place that didn't remind him of Ren's absence.

…

"Right." Toshiro wandered into the empty hall in the village hall, switching on the lights and throwing the bag onto the floor with such force, it skidded quite a bit before it hit the wall. "Whoops." Toshiro went over to the bag and picked it up. He was so frustrated and concerned right now, he wasn't thinking straight. He placed it on a nearby table set up underneath a hatch leading to the kitchen area. He unzipped it and opened it wide to look inside. All the files, the dossiers, the tapes and the pink fluffy diary were in there.

"There's got to be something I'm missing." Toshiro said aloud, pulling out the file that contained Nathan's notice of transfer and placing it on the table. "Nathan transferred school's the same year Ren returned to school after she left the mental hospital, yet he transferred back again after six years." Toshiro took out the diary and held it in his hand, staring at the sparkly, fluffy cover. "And there's more to this thing than meets the eye." Looking at it for too long gave him chills and unpleasant memories of the last time he touched it, and he promptly dropped it back in the rucksack. "There is more than one survivor, but I have way of tracing them to where they currently. Live. Their names were withheld in those interrogations I listened to. Damn it, why can't I figure this out?!" With that yell of frustration, Toshiro slammed his fists onto the table, making the rucksack topple over on the table, and a dossier slipped out and fell on the floor. "Huh?" Toshiro looked down at the floor after hearing something drop. He picked it up and read the label. It read MILLSDALE RESIDENTS-2006.

_A residential record?_ Toshiro thought. Thinking back, Toshiro realised that he had never looked at the records of who lived where. _Let's see…Tom and Stephanie live in Woolfield, Nathan is in Oakworth, and Ren, myself, Ichigo and the others live here in Hazelford. And that doctor lives in Portsbury lives in Portsbury. Who lives in Millsdale? _Toshiro cast his mind back, trying to think of an occasion where somebody revealed where they lived. _Oh, that's right. Stephanie mentioned once that Katelyn was born in Millsdale. I can't believe I haven't looked at these yet._ Toshiro pulled out the residential records of all the villages, including Redwood, out of the bag and laid them out on the table in an orderly fashion. He then went to the locked room containing information on the Blank Fortnight, among other things, found a box showing residential records on 2007, and he dragged it off the shelf and carried it into the hall, dropping it on the ground_. If I just compare the names on Redwood's records with these records and the records of 2007, I'll be able to find out if any survivors live in the villages. Why didn't I think of this before?!_

"Now…" Toshiro opened up the folder containing the list of residents in Redwood, pulled up a chair and got to work. Almost an hour of silence passed by as Toshiro read and compared the files. There were no Redwood survivors in Hazelford (just as well, considering how small reminders of Ren's past were enough to give her headaches). There were none in Oakworth or Woolfield, and the only connection to Redwood he could find in Portsbury was Cyrus Shepherd.

_All that's left is Millsdale._ Toshiro thought, opening up the file that had dropped to the floor earlier. But, after reading the first page, Toshiro found something that he was not expecting. His eyes widened as he read that name over and over again. He grabbed the records for Millsdale from 2007 and double checked.

"It can't be…" He muttered, blinking a couple times to make sure that he was reading this correctly. His shock was interrupted as he heard a door open.

"Huh? Why is the light on?" A girl's voice said. She opened the door to the main hall and entered the room. It was Katelyn. She wasn't in her school uniform like the last time she visited the village hall. Instead, she wore blue three quarter length jeans, a purple t-shirt with a large, yellow star printed on the front, black Converses and a blue short sleeved hoodie to show off the bracelets on her arm and the peace sign black cord necklace. Her long black hair was tied back in a high half ponytail and Katelyn flicked some hair over her shoulder as she wondered who left the light on. "Anyone here?" Katelyn called out, entering the hall. "I noticed the light was on. Did somebody forget to turn it off?"

"Hello, Katelyn."

"Huh?!" Katelyn gasped, sharply turning her head in the direction she heard the voice. It was Toshiro, leaning against the wall with his arms folded, and he seemed to almost glare at her. "Oh, it's only you, Toshiro. You shouldn't scare people like that." Katelyn noticed the box, the files and the rucksack on the table and floor. Her first thought was 'What's Toshiro doing with Ren's rucksack?' Her second thought quickly went to 'What's Toshiro doing with all those files?' Katelyn's eyes widened when Katelyn noticed that one file was wide open on the floor. Katelyn recognised them. They were residential records. She looked up at Toshiro. Just what had he found out?

"I've got a question for you." Toshiro said. "If you've lived in Millsdale your whole life, then how come your name doesn't show up on the list of residents until 2007?"

"!" Katelyn's eyes went wide with a sharp gasp. This reaction didn't go unnoticed by Toshiro. "Oh…that." Katelyn said feebly, trying to think of an excuse. "Well…um…there's an interesting story to that. Why don't I go to the kitchen and put the kettle on?" Katelyn used that excuse to make a brisk walk towards the door and as far away from Toshiro as possible. But, he was having none of it, because he certainly wasn't born yesterday. He unfolded an arm and, with one flick of his wrist, the door leading to Katelyn's escape slammed shut. Katelyn staggered back in alarm, and she heard the sound on a lock turning. She glanced at the wide open shutters. With another flick of the wrist, those too were shut and locked. There was no way out.

"I'm through playing around, Katelyn." Katelyn turned back to Toshiro, who had moved away from the wall and was slowly walking towards her. Katelyn had never seen anyone look so intimidating before. "You were there when I was in this very village hall. You were there when I found Redwood. And that person who left the file on Ren's doorstep must have been you." Toshiro stopped walking when he was just a couple inches away from Katelyn, and narrowed his eyes. "You know something, don't you?"

"…" Katelyn looked away. Toshiro knew a lot more about the anniversary than he was letting on. Just how much research had he done?

"How do you know about Redwood?" Toshiro asked.

"…" Katelyn stayed in silent contemplation. There was no point hiding it now. It made her feel sad, and relieved, that she wouldn't have to keep this secret any longer.

"Where is the diary you found?" Katelyn asked. Toshiro pointed at the rucksack. Katelyn walked over to it and searched through the bag until she found the pink diary. She turned around and held it out to Toshiro, much to his confusion. "Everything you want to know is in this diary."

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't pretend. You can enter the past, can't you?"

"What?"

"I overheard you in the forest. I couldn't see who you were talking to, but I could make out bits of your conversation. You have this power to go into the past, don't you? You must have seen something when you touched this diary, right?"

"…" Toshiro nodded.

"So, you can enter this diary and see exactly what happened six years ago. But hear this; Ren is not a monster. And neither are Nathan and I."

"I never said you were." Toshiro protested.

"But you're thinking it!" Katelyn cried. "I know you are! I've seen the way you treat Nathan! But I'm telling you, I'm not like that! I had no choice! She…She made me!" Katelyn cut herself off before she could get too emotional. She looked away to look at the ground. "She made me." She repeated quietly. Katelyn didn't look up, but she heard Toshiro's footsteps approach her. She felt a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm going to ask you again." Toshiro said in a firm yet gentle tone. "How do you know about Redwood?" Katelyn stayed silent for a few seconds before answering, trying to supress some painful memories.

"Because I didn't always live in Millsdale." Katelyn answered. "I lived in another village."

"What do you mean?"

"Six years ago…I knew Rosalie before she died. I lost my home, my neighbours, my friends, and my…" Katelyn clenched her fist, unable to finish her sentence, and lowered the arm holding the diary.

"Katelyn…" Toshiro started.

"Toshiro…I used to live in Redwood. I…" Katelyn looked Toshiro straight in the face. "I was one of the survivors."

"!" Toshiro's eyes went wide, and he let go of Katelyn's shoulder in shock. He knew that there were survivors, but until now, he had never suspected that Katelyn was a former resident of Redwood. This changed everything!

"So then…" Toshiro started as he put some pieces together in his head. "That girl in the interrogation room…And that girl in the drawing I found…They were both you."

"Drawing?" Katelyn said, confused. "Oh. Did you go back to Redwood?" Toshiro nodded. "I see. So, you must have found that house."

"You mean the one that was untouched by the fire damage?"

"That's the one. That was where I lived before the village got destroyed. Somehow, Ren made sure that my house was never touched during the attack. I was young when it happened, so I didn't think much of it at the time. I was scared. I just wanted to escape. So, I found my parents and took them to the only escape route I could think of. I went underground."

"The tunnels…" Toshiro realised.

"Yes." Katelyn nodded. "Rosalie used them to make quick trips to Hazelford whenever she felt like tormenting Ren."

"You knew Rosalie?"

"She was the one who made me pick on Ren back in primary school. I never wanted to, but I was too scared of Rosalie to refuse. I had no intention of doing it again after Ren attacked me, but Rosalie didn't seem to care. She was too focused on Ren to notice that I had made friends with Ren." Katelyn smiled sadly to herself. "I guess I was trying to make amends for what I had done. I wanted to ease Ren's pain. Eventually, though…" Katelyn shook her head, and Toshiro knew that she was thinking about the destruction of Redwood.

"Why didn't you say no to Rosalie?"

"I couldn't. Nobody could say no to the Thorntons. We all knew that they would step on anyone who didn't fall in line. So, we held our tongues and obeyed any orders they gave us. You wouldn't understand, Toshiro. You're just an outsider."

"…" Toshiro said nothing after this. She was right; as far as the villagers were concerned, he was just a stranger on the outside looking in. "So, you and your parents survived the destruction of Redwood." Katelyn nodded. "Who was that girl in the drawing with you?"

"…" Katelyn placed a hand in her pocket and pulled out something crumpled to show to Toshiro. It was a photograph of a young girl with curly black hair and holding a very big teddy bear that was almost as big as she was. This girl looked to be about six years old.

"Who's this?" Toshiro asked, taking the photo for a better look. He recognised her straight away from the drawing.

"This is my little sister. Her name is Isobel, but we all call her Izzy."

"She's your sister?"

"Was. She…She's dead." Katelyn took the photo from Toshiro's hand and re-pocketed it. "She died when Redwood was destroyed."

"I'm sorry." Toshiro said sadly, looking away.

"I tried to look for her. I ran everywhere I could. But…there was just so much fire…I couldn't breathe…I would have died if I stayed any longer." Katelyn closed her eyes tightly. "I'm a horrible big sister."

"No, you're not!" Toshiro yelled without thinking, surprising both of them. "I mean…If Ren was here, she would tell you to not blame yourself. She would…She would say that you're a good person, and that she would be honoured if you were her elder sister." Toshiro said, thinking quickly of a way to comfort Katelyn. He was never really good with comforting people, especially if they were girls. Hinamori was easy, but anyone else was next to impossible.

"…" Katelyn gave a small smile, feeling a wave of comfort from those words, and Toshiro instantly felt relieved. "Thank you." Katelyn held the diary out to Toshiro again. "Here. Use it to enter the past…and see for yourself exactly what happened. I know that you won't judge Ren for what she did. I can trust you with this."

"…" Toshiro stared at the cover of the book, a little fearful at what he might find. But this was his chance. He could finally get some answers. So, he reached out and held the diary in his hand. He shut his eyes and concentrated. He pictured the diary in his mind, and focused on entering the past inside it.

_Take me back to 2006._ Toshiro thought. He felt his back burn, and he heard Katelyn give a stunned yell. That must be the light, so it was working again. As soon as the burning passed, Toshiro opened his eyes. He was now outside, staring up at the front entrance to King's.

"I made it." Toshiro said to himself.

"What the…Why am I here too?!"

"Eh?" Toshiro looked over his shoulder. His eyes widened. Katelyn was standing right there, darting her head around at her new surroundings and looking just as ghostly as Toshiro.

"I'm see through! Why am I see through?!"

"Katelyn, calm down. It's alright." Toshiro reassured Katelyn. "You must have been transported here because you were still holding the diary when I entered the past."

"The diary…right…" Katelyn said, calming down a little. "Why do you have it?" Katelyn asked, noticing that Toshiro was holding the diary in his hand.

"Well, sometimes when I enter the past, the object that I used to do so ends up in my hand. The writing and recording appear as the events play out."

"How can you be so calm about this?!" Katelyn almost exclaimed, still freaking out a little about travelling back in time.

"This isn't the first time I've done this."

"Oh, and that makes everything so much better." Katelyn said sarcastically.

"When you're done freaking out, I need to find out where and when we are." Toshiro said, opening the diary up. All the pages had gone blank, but that didn't matter, because some writing appeared on one of the pages he had randomly opened up on. It said it was 22nd February 2006. "Twenty second of February, huh? That's the first day of the Blank Fortnight."

"Someone's coming, Toshiro." Katelyn said, hearing footsteps approaching them.

"Don't worry. Nobody can see us." Toshiro's statement was proven true when a year seven girl with dark blonde hair tied up in two plaits walked straight through Katelyn.

"Wow. That was weird."

"It takes a little getting used to." Toshiro said as the girl walked towards him. He pocketed the diary and turned around as she walked past him, only to be met with a group of five tall boys who looked to be sixteen years old. A couple of them deliberately bumped into the girl, laughing spitefully as the girl fell over. The boys walked away, and the girl picked herself up and carried on walking towards the front entrance. Something inside Toshiro stung when he saw this injustice, but he knew full well that he couldn't interfere.

"Hey, you dropped something!" Katelyn called to the girl, noticing a few objects on the ground that weren't there before.

"They can't hear us, either. We're in the past, so we don't exist to them. We don't cast reflections, and hazards don't affect us. We can even walk through walls."

"Wow." Katelyn breathed. She saw a puddle and stepped in it. Nothing. Not even a splash. "We really don't exist here." Katelyn turned her attention back to the pile of dropped items on the ground. "But I feel for the girl. She's left behind a lot of stuff."

"True. But there's nothing we can do about it." Toshiro said, taking a look at the objects. It was an inhaler and a pink notebook. A pink notebook that looked quite familiar. "Wait a minute." Toshiro knelt down for a closer look. "This is the diary we entered. It belongs to that girl!"

"…" Katelyn looked at the ground sadly, but this went unnoticed by Toshiro.

"A girl with asthma." Toshiro noticed the inhaler next. "I hope she doesn't have an attack today. That's all she needs."

"My inhaler!"

!" Toshiro stood up as soon as he heard a girl's voice. The girl with plaits ran past him and knelt down on the ground to pick up her things. She pocketed the diary first, and then picked up the inhaler, checking for damage. Toshiro couldn't help but notice a few stickers on the inhaler. They were small, green stickers that looked strangely like an animal head and a…a lily pad. Them Toshiro noticed the rucksack on her back. It was bright green, and it looked like a frog. Wait, a frog?

"Thank goodness." The girl sighed with relief as she stood up again. She turned around, and Toshiro got a good look at the diary owner's face. She was quite pale and thin, and she had light pink framed glasses in front of her blue eyes. She seemed familiar to Toshiro, yet unfamiliar at the same time. But, when the twelve year old girl walked past Toshiro again, time seemed to slow down for him. The dark blonde hair. The blue eyes. The scent. They were all so familiar to him. He knew who the diary owner was. And it was not who he was expecting it to be. He was so caught up in this revelation that he didn't notice that the girl had already gone past him. With a small gasp, Toshiro turned around to look at the girl as she opened the door to school and entered the building, vanishing from sight. Katelyn said nothing, knowing that Toshiro had realised something that she already knew.

"I don't believe it." Toshiro said in quiet disbelief. "Ren?"

**Well, there you have it. Toshiro has entered the past, with Katelyn along for the ride. It turns out that Katelyn was one of the survivors, and the diary belonged to Ren! Next time, Katelyn and Toshiro explore Ren's past in order to find out why Redwood was destroyed, and why the Blank Fortnight is so…well…blank. Favourite, review, follow on Twitter, like my deviantART, etc. Happy Valentine's Day! See you next time!**


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